donderdag 02 februari 2006, jaargang 41, nr. 4
rubriek: English
Enter the Year of the Dog
A big party was held Saturday - co-organized by ACSSNL (Association of Chinese Students and Scholars in the Netherlands) Enschede, Student Union and the UT International Office - to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This year the celebration took place in the UT's Bastille Atrium for the first time. The event attracted around 150 people, filling the room with mostly Chinese students but quite a few non-Chinese as well.
2006 is the year of the dog. There are three ways to name a new year in Chinese accounting: by a cycle of 12 animals (in Chinese tradition, the twelve animals are those who bade farewell to the Buddha upon his leaving this world. Chinese astrologers attribute certain characteristics to individuals born in particular years), a 60 year cycle of formal names (this year is bingxu), and, finally, numerically as the year 4703. Based strictly on astronomical observations of the lunar cycle, in the simplest terms New Year's falls on the second full moon after the winter solstice (anywhere from January 21 to February 19). The lunar New Year also marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring in the Far East and is sometimes called the Spring Festival to mark the beginning of planting.
Festivities traditionally begin on the first day of the moon, which is the darkest night, and continue until the 15th, when the moon is brighter. Traditions include cleaning out one's kitchen to please the kitchen god who reckons the family's behavior at the end of the year; wearing red (red symbolizes fire and will burn off bad luck; fireworks also play into this theme); giving red envelopes of money; and, decorating with poems on red paper that wish for good luck, fortune, and happiness in the new year.
The crowd in the Bastille Atrium grew as the evening progressed. The atmosphere was congenial and the food plentiful. According to custom, families come together to feast on New Year's Eve. Traditional food, such as Jiao Zi (a boiled dumpling filled with spiced pork), spring rolls and an assortment of Chinese snacks and fruit were served as well as drinks from the bar. In addition to documentary films about China, several talented singers did a Karaoke performance, and the Spring Festival party broadcast on China Central Television Station (CCTV) was shown.
Attendees, new and returning, were unanimously enthusiastic. `I really enjoy my work and this is a great event; China and the student exchange with the UT are very rewarding and relevant - it's an amazing culture!' exclaimed ACSSNL advisor and self-confessed China fanatic, Sirp de Boer. Student Union board member Anke Huiskes took the stage and commented on how good it was to see so many international students at the festival.
James He (He Yizhi) led the festivities as chairman of the ACSSNL, teaching the crowd how to say `Happy New Year' in Chinese (`Kung hei fat choi' loosely translated as `Congratulations and be prosperous') as well as introducing one of the highlights of the evening: karaoke singers who expertly belted out popular Chinese songs. In addition to the singing, the crowd commented on the excellent quality of the food, especially the traditional dumplings. Yanyan Xue recently joined the UT community as an AIO at CSTM. She remarked how great it was to see so many people celebrating the New Year together, but she then wistfully confessed, `I can't watch the films too closely because they make me a little homesick.'
(Mike Maier ) |
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去去去，一边凉快去～～～～
