Chinese NEW Year

Today is the last day before Chinese New Year.

With my birthday being on New Year's Eve, I am usually too occupied with celebrating my own birth to really feel the coming of a brand new year.

So, at least to little me, Chinese New Year marks the start of the year.

The hustle and bustle in my traditional chinese family.
Specially prepared new year dishes in the morning.
Organising gathering with friends not seen for the whole year.
Click clacks of mahjong tiles.
Cursing about losing money over poker cards.

It is the dynamic of meeting with people old and new, sharing stories future and past, rush of reunions and departure. Without all these, Chinese New Year is nothing but a date on the calender for people to drink and eat like a pig.

Meeting with people old and new = tying up loose ends. The various lines of communication and relationships cut short and abrupt due to the busy everydays or procrastinau'tion or even fear. Time to meet and greet and to re-build bridges through appreciation, apologies or a mere 'how are you'.

Sharing stories future and past = remembering who we were and reminding ourselves of our aspiration. People we have met halfway in our lives often do not have a good picture of who we really are. Talking to people we met at various stages of our lives and better still, mixing these people together, reminds us of how far we have gone and where are we heading to.

Reunions and departures = nostalgia. Like an illusion. Cheesy as it might sound - it is beautiful and even more so just because it is transient. People always treasure things that cannot last more. And so, just like chasing a dream.

So how is Chinese New Year for you?