The Lunar New Year has brought about bright celebrations, family bonding and ancient traditions in millions of people in Asia and other parts of the globe as they celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse. From Beijing to Bangkok, Sydney to Manila and even Yangon, the lanterns were hung down the streets, the drumbeats reverberated through the city centres, and dragon dances turned up and down the crowded Chinatowns as people celebrated what hopefully will be a good year.
The most prominent in some Asian cultures is the Lunar New Year; this week, millions of people are on vacation just to spend time with family. During the holiday season in China alone, the government anticipates approximately 9.5 billion cross-border travels, which is popularly considered the largest number of human migrations in the world. Airports, highways and train stations are filled with people who are keen to go home to their hometowns to reunite with their family and perform rituals of festivities.
The year is the Year of the Horse in accordance with the Chinese zodiac, but it is impregnated with the element of fire. Horses can be used to represent vitality, confidence and energy, whereas fire is linked to passion and dynamism. Most are convinced that the mash-up can produce some radical actions and radical change in the upcoming months. Red envelope money changed hands, homes were adorned using couplets that were written in auspicious characters, and family members sat down to a lavish dinner that was meant to bring luck and fortune to the family.
All over the territory, one thing was a constant feature: children stared at dragon and lion dance spectacles in amazement. They were taken by their parents happily to the closest Chinatown or community square, where people could observe the performances of performers who leap and twist according to the rhythm of drums and cymbals. The spectacle is one of the most popular traditions, which unites the generations and maintains the folklore in contemporary cities.
In the case of most of the young Chinese, the holiday season is also accompanied by another rite, the annual grilling of relatives. During reunion dinners, career advancement, salary, matrimonial and grandchildren issues may turn joyful events into awkward situations. The gentle mockery is symptomatic of more societal strains that the young generations have in their pursuit of competitive employment and changing cultural demands.
Food still remains central to the celebrations, with each country contributing its flavour to the celebrations. In Singapore, a cultural custom of serving yusheng, a colourful raw fish and vegetable salad, which brings good fortune, was in the news when a group of university students got too excited and were later criticised and sent to undergo counselling. Dishes served during the Lunar New Year in Chinatown in the Philippines represent a mixture of Chinese traditions with Latin American and American cultures, which leads to unique dim sum and noodle cuisine that can be attributed to the stratified history of the country.
In other places, there were festivals held on an intricate national basis. In South Korea, tradition was followed by families, though they were concerned with the cost of living and the declining birth rate. In Myanmar, there were communities that celebrated the holiday under the tension of the civil war that was still going on. In Thailand, celebrations were a little quieter in the locations because the nation is still in a state of mourning for their late Queen Sirikit, but temples and residential houses still practised customary rituals.
The appeal of the traditions of the Lunar New Year remained unquestionable, despite economic pressures, political uncertainty and social change. Fireworks, feasts and family get-togethers have marked the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse that promises strength and renewal and the flow of progress to millions of people worldwide.
