Happy Chinese New Year! Today marks the start of the new lunar year, a fresh beginning characterized by superstitious rituals and colorful festivities.
My childhood is rich with memories of this special day. My mother, a Hong Kong native, told me poignant stories about the sparkling celebrations of her childhood, the pretty decorations hung on maple trees (a kind of exotic Christmas tree), the steaming dishes prepared by her mother. She remembers cleaning the entire house from top to bottom, a metaphor for sweeping away the bad luck accumulated during the past year.
I also remember big, happy family gatherings in Chinatown, where we would celebrate togetherness and make a toast to a healthy, happy, prosperous new year. I remember flying to San Francisco, whose Chinatown is well-known as a cultural hub, for an extra-special celebration. Crowded along the narrow street, my family and I watched the New Years parade, complete with crackling firecrackers, bright masks and the vibrant dragon dance -- all traditional features of the festivities. Best of all, I remember receiving “lucky money” in red envelops inscribed with golden Chinese characters.
Some things don’t change – not with the passage of time, or the transition from child to adult. I’m now a college student living in the dorms. But I’m betting that when I go home this weekend, a red envelope and dishes enveloped in fragrant steam await me.
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