By Alexis Carr
Recently, Indian Trial High School and Academy students in Sandra Hsiao’s Chinese language class celebrated Chinese New Year. The students were divided up into groups of their liking and were asked to do their part to bring in supplies for the celebration.
Supplies mainly consisted of food such as oranges and apples; however, the rest was up to them. The day of the celebration, Hsiao cooked chicken, while the groups separated their supplies to share with their group. They were required to bring oranges and apples because in Chinese culture, oranges represent having an abundance of happiness and prosperity. The bright orange color also symbolizes ‘gold’; hence it has meaning to bring good luck and wealth. While apples symbolize peace.
“This year we made something different. Instead of making dumplings this time around, we made chicken and it was more enjoyable and delicious,” said Kevin Aguilar, a Medical Science Academy junior.
“My favorite part about the celebration was being able to make food, eat it, and learn more about the Chinese culture,” he said.
“When we worked in groups I like that we all communicated, worked together to bring the final dish together, and learning more about each other in the process,” said Aguilar.
“I also thought it was interesting to incorporate more of our foods in the celebration to make the experience more personal and enjoyable,” he said.
“The process of making everything was really fun. I feel like I learned more about the culture this year than the previous years.”
This is the most important time of the year in Chinese culture, rooted in traditions and customs passed down from generation to generation. The celebration lasts for a spectacular 15 days that consist of family gatherings, various food feasts, and good fortune.
This tradition began through the legend of a monstrous beast named Nian (meaning year in Chinese.) When the new moon was in the sky, Nian would sneak into the village and terrorize everyone in sight. People dreaded the new moon for many years. Eventually, a wiseman taught the townspeople the three things Nian was afraid of: loud noises, fire, and the color red.
The next time Nian came the villagers retaliated. They hit their drums as hard as they could, lit every firecracker they had, and wore the color red from head to toe. Nian ran far away and never came back. After Nian’s disappearance, the people began to celebrate the new moon instead of fearing it. That celebration became a 15-day festival of family, food, and fortune.