Never lonely at the Lunar New Year
International students reveal their celebrations of the ancient Asian & global festival phenom
C
hinese New Year’s Day is called Guo Nian, which can mean celebrate a new year or overcome Nian. The character of Nian could mean a year or the monster Nian. Lucy (Jin Xuan Lu) and Theresa (Yue Ying Tao) are Grade 12 students from YGQ International School attending Brooks Secondary School’s international student program. Both students are from Beijing, China, and they will talk about the Chinese New Year. Lucy will talk about the Spring Festival, the most important traditional festival in China and Theresa will talk about the monster Nian (also known as Year).
Spring Festival BY JIN XUAN LU
“My family and I usually go to shopping malls to buy New Year’s items like Spring Festival couplets, red envelopes, and New Year’s gifts. We also buy the word “Fu” (meaning a blessing or happiness) and paste it on
NOT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: SD47 international students Jin Xuan Lu and Yue Ying Tao are both far from their families in Beijing for this year’s Lunar New Year – the ultimate multigenerational celebration. What do they miss most? the door. On New Year’s Eve, I will go with my family to visit our relatives with New Year’s products. The elders will give us red envelopes and we will have a very rich New Year’s dinner with fish and meat. We will also make dumplings together and wrap coins in one of the dumplings. Whoever eats them will be lucky.” There are many historical records and folklore about the origin of dumplings. Jiaoer, the original name of dumpling, was first invented by Zhang Zhongjing, the medical saint of China. It is said that in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Zhongjing, the sage of medicine, was once the chief of Changsha, and then he had to return home. He returned just in time for the winter solstice and saw that the people in Nanyang were starving and cold, and their ears were frostbitten. At that time, typhoid was
prevalent and many people died. After summarizing the clinical practice of the Han Dynasty for more than 300 years, Zhang Zhongjing built a local medical shed and set up a large pot to boil filled with mutton, peppers and herbs to dispel cold and heat. He wrapped the dough in the shape of an ear. After cooking, he presented the soup and food to the poor. From the winter solstice to New Year’s Eve, the common people have resisted typhoid fever and cured frozen ears. Since then, people in the countryside and later generations have imitated the production, called “Jiaoer” or “Jiaozi.” They also call them “flat food” or “hot dumplings” in some places. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, I begin to decorate with my family. We paste New Year pictures, Spring Festival Couplets and the word “Fu” to the door. We prepare red envelopes, and wait for relatives to
YOUR HEALTHIER NEW YEAR STARTS HERE
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POWELL RIVER LIVING • January 2020 •
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