The celebration of Chinese New Year was officially over on Thursday, ending with the Lantern Festival. We set off the rest of our firecrackers on the last day of the Spring Festival season as local ordinance dictates.
I hurried back to a friend's backyard and found the neighbors all standing there, looking up to the sky. Kids hooted and screamed, others cheered and burst into applause each time flares sizzled and exploded into colors of red, green and yellow.
That day was supposed to be a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows. The latter, however, has been close to disappearance in most parts of the country.
So, adieu to the two-week of festivities and it is now time to get back to work.
Many people had to stay where they were rather than join their families for reunions thanks to the snowstorms in South China before our most important holiday. Some co-workers returned to the office looking glum, complaining they had nothing new or interesting to do during the long holiday.
Time has eaten the heart out of the fun and excitement of the festival. Old Chinese New Year traditions are almost becoming a thing of the past, particularly in cities where Westernization has crept into the lives of many of the young.
The celebrations have gradually turned into just a seven-day holiday, with little excitement.
A friend of mine said she had to keep her cell phone charged all the time on the New Year's Eve, busy receiving and sending text messages. Her cell phone finally jammed with more than 200 text messages wishing her "xin nian kuai le" - Happy New Year and "gong xi fa cai" - celebrate, make money.
Her fingers became sore sending out and receiving text messages to friends and loved ones, and downloading new ones from the Web.
This is now the way to send greetings in the age of the Internet and mobile phones. They have made social networking easier, but unfortunately, more boring and tasteless.
Chinese New Year is a time for socializing. People usually wear new clothes and visit relatives and friends, so the streets are filled with lots of cheerful people, not today.
We took our New Year celebrations far more to heart when we were children.
As a child, the best part about the festival was getting lots of red packets filled with money.
Of course, I remember other things as well, like three weeks before the New Year my mother would start roasting peanuts and cooking various dishes. The intense smells filled the house, and my heart with joy.
In the years of the planning economy, at the forefront of the festivities was food.
According to custom, my mother prepared enough for meals and nibbles because she did not cook during the first three days of the New Year. She just enjoyed the festivities and expected guests to drop in. You treated them to a platter of snacks including peanuts, watermelon seeds and fruits such as tangerines and oranges.
On New Year's Eve, traditions and rituals were carefully observed from food to clothing. Dinner was usually a feast of fish and dumplings, signifying good wishes. It was usual to wear something red as the color is meant to ward off evil spirits. After dinner, the family spent the evening chatting, playing mahjong, or watching national TV shows. At midnight, the sky would be lit up by fireworks.
This was a time when people tried their best to join their families for the reunion dinner no matter where they were.
Now many families free themselves from the chores of cooking. They either dine at restaurants or order food from them for the New Year's Eve feast. A colleague said his family left their kitchen utensils untouched during the festival.
This is the new way of life. Some Chinese families do not want to cook, considering it too much of a chore.
Also, kitchens today have no place for the Kitchen God. In the past, it was a time to offer a sacrifice to the god. Many families had a poster of the god in their kitchen, to make sure he gave a good report on the family's behavior when he returned to heaven.
There are significant events that occur on certain days of the festival, and some are given special names. Take Chinese New Year's Eve, which is called chuxi. Literally translated, it means eve for change. Red and gold are still used extensively in decorations - gold symbolizing money or wealth, and red is thought to keep evil spirits at bay, as well as bad luck. The color red is used in more than just decorations - it is the color of clothing most people wear during the festival. Tradition also dictates that the clothing must be new, to start the new year off right, while leaving behind any bad luck of the previous year.
Sweeping the dust and dirt off the old year from our floors to make way for the new year was also observed. I remember my mother telling me to put the broom down when I tried to give her a hand cleaning on the first day of the new year. I was told if I did any sweeping on the first few days of the year, I would risk sweeping away my good luck.
The fifth day is the return of the firecrackers as many businesses reopen. Dumplings are served again as this day is said to have been the birth of the God of Wealth.
This tradition has been closely observed after the late leader Deng Xiaoping encouraged our countrymen to get rich. They observe this ritual to invite good fortune from the stock market and to see that their businesses prosper.
For whatever reason, the smoke from firecrackers swirling in the air and the thundering noise, always put me in a good mood for the festival.
During the Lantern Festival families are supposed to carry lighted lanterns as they walk the streets, and lighted candles are placed outside homes to guide lost spirits home.
Today, the streets are alive with the sound of firecrackers but no more lanterns and candles. Gone are some of the traditions of Chinese New Year - beautiful stories and memories. Now, only those that bring us tangible benefits hold sway.
(China Daily February 23, 2008)
