Red Family reunion plays a very important role for every Chinese. People left home for working, studying, far away from their hometowns and families, will always come back to home in the Chinese Festival. As a student studying aboard, I have missed the big day twice, which means that I have not see everyone in my family for two years. In my memory, red is a symbol of Spring Festival. Red, is a color of good luck for every Chinese, that brings the circumstances of lively, prosperous and peaceful. Red, is a connection between me and family. “Wake up! wake up! It is new year and happy new year!” I am always woken up by the rushing voice from my grandmother in the morning of new year. She is in a kind of chaos, in the kitchen, …show more content…
It is a symbol of good luck and best wishes. During the dinner, my grandfather proposes a toast first, wishing everything is going well during the next year. Chinese people would like to compare life to red and fire, which means everything is in the ascendant. After, they will give us, young generation a red packet, called “Hong Bao” and we have to say something good for them, like wishing them good health. Before I was seven years old, my mother told me she will keep the red packet for me and when I grow up, she will give it back. Although, I understand that I gather the red packet means that my mother need to give the red packet back to their children, which means my mother gives the money to me, I still want to use the money to buy some food or fireworks. So one day, I told my mother “I am a big boy now. I can keep the money by myself. So can I take the red packet this year?”. Since that year, I am really happy that I have the power to own my red packet. The money of the red packet will be used by buying some snacks and drinks. Young people, like me, will going out buy some fireworks or firecrackers. There are a lot of kind fireworks in China, including sparklers, firecrackers, basic fireworks, and ariel or display fireworks. Almost all of that are packed in red. Everyone places their wonderful aspirations on the red firework and carefully
The journey from Chongqing to America was one with many obstacles and Suyuan sacrificed so much for her daughter hoping that one day June will be successful. The support and care that Suyuan provided for June ended when she suddenly passes away which forces June discerns how little she actually knows about her own mother. This seemingly ordinary life of June disappears as she discovers her mother’s past which included siblings that have been abandoned and thus attempts to find her long lost sisters. This idea was brought up by the Aunties of the Joy Luck Club that her mother founded which can be seen as the call to an adventure. The purpose of this journey was not only to find her sisters but to also discover her mother for who Suyuan truly was. In June’s eyes, Suyuan was always impossible to please and she was never on the same page as her mother who believes a person could be anything they wanted in America-the land of opportunities. But as the Joy Luck Club reminds June of how smart, dutiful, and kind her
The Sun of the Revolution by Liang Heng, is intriguing and vivid, and gives us a complex and compelling perspective on Chines culture during a confusing time period. We get the opportunity to learn the story of a young man with a promising future, but an unpleasant childhood. Liang Heng was exposed to every aspect of the Cultural Revolution in China, and shares his experiences with us, since the book is written from Liang perspective, we do not have a biased opinion from an elite member in the Chinese society nor the poor we get an honest opinion from the People’s Republic of China. Liang only had the fortunate opportunity of expressing these events due his relationship with his wife, An American woman whom helps him write the book. When Liang Heng and Judy Shapiro fell in love in China during 1979, they weren’t just a rarity they were both pioneers at a time when the idea of marriages between foreigners and Chinese were still unacceptable in society.
To begin with, understanding what was happening in China that caused these changes is key. One thing that changed was the opinions of the educated on cultural festivals. These festivals were to "exorcise evil and bring good fortune" (SMCD 112). But in later years, these festivals began to attract thousands of people and participation
Once the train leaves the border of Hong Kong and enters Shenzhen, Jing-mei says, “I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my blood rushing through a new course, my bones aching with a familiar old pain. And I think, my mother was right. I am becoming Chinese” (263). Jing-mei’s thoughts are in constant turmoil as she bounces back and forth on what being Chinese is and what her heritage is. The way Jing-mei describes her seven-two year old father as a young boy shows how emotional he is about coming home, that he has a long history in China. Even Jing-mei, who is coming to China for the first time, is feeling emotional about arriving. For example, Jing-mei says, “All he is seeing out the train window is a sectioned field of yellow, green, and brown, a narrow canal flanking the tracks, low rising hills, and three other people in blue jackets riding an ox-driven cart on this early October morning. And I can’t help myself, I also have misty eyes, as if I had seen this a long, long time ago, and I also almost forgotten” (264). The description of colors such as yellow, green, and brown are earthy and related to season of fall. In a way, the setting is showing that Jing-mei is getting in touch with her roots just like her father is. It would also explain why Jing-mei is suddenly overcome with emotions. A big part her that she has always assumed
China has seen many changes throughout the course of their development, yet one aspect about their culture has tended to see continuity over the centuries. The practice of ancestor veneration has been present for thousands of years in Chinese culture. Looking at this single theme from China in 1600 compared to earlier periods, it is not hard to see that China has seen great continuity when it comes to honoring their ancestors. Religion, politics, and the economics of China may have changed over the years, but ancestor veneration has persisted and has even been shaped by these aspects.
Unlike most other families mine had decided to live with the Chinese rather than in the isolated compound away from them. I and my parents, we saw no need for separation, after all, what bad could it be? The culture and language of China had begun to grab my attention from the moment I started to learn them. I went to
The Chinese dragon represents power, good luck for people who are worthy, and strength. The Emperor of China in the Zhou and Qing Dynasty adopted the dragon as a symbol of imperial power. There were different version of the dragon symbol to represent ranking, to showcase how they did that was by the number of claws the dragon had. The son of Heaven; the emperor is given five claws; four claws were to nobles; and ministers or assigned people
June-May fulfills her mother’s name and life goal, her long-cherished wish. She finally meets her twin sisters and in an essence fulfills and reunites her mother with her daughter through her. For when they are all together they are one; they are their mother. It is here that June-May fulfills the family portion of her Chinese culture of family. In addition, she fully embraces herself as Chinese. She realizes that family is made out of love and that family is the key to being Chinese. “And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood.” (Tan 159). Finally, her mother’s life burden is lifted and June-May’s doubts of being Chinese are set aside or as she says “After all these years, it can finally be let go,” (Tan 159).
her good-byes to her own family because in the Chinese culture she is now part
In the view of the Chinese common man, life on earth is but a temporary stop on his journey to death and other reincarnations. Since death is viewed as inexorable and inherent in the human condition, the Chinese accepts it with composure. It was a common custom in China, especially in rural areas, for people to have a coffin ready in their houses as a preparation for death that may come ten or twenty years in the future. Well-to-do people used to build their own tombs long before they felt they were approaching death. This composure should not be construed as absence of sadness and regret. The Chinese believe that, in spite of its seamy side, life is still better than death which is shrouded in mystery. Death, for Chinese, does not mean total disappearance. Only the corporeal frame is disintegrated, and the spirit survives and perpetuates itself in a series of reincarnations. The belief of the survival of the soul forms the spiritual basis for ancestor worship while the feeling of gratitude ant affection for one's ancestors forms its moral foundation. Among the Chinese, the honest man is born amidst traditions and rites; as an adolescent, he seeks to improve himself through culture; and in maturity, he aims at wisdom through following the spiritual path. This pattern is not an abstract ideal but a way of life, which often leads to an attitude of tolerance and detachment. The bulk of the Chinese people lived for centuries in this environment of ancestral beliefs and religious doctrines.
I believe. Every year, as the air becomes dry and the ground sparkles with the fluffy white of the snow, I see in the eyes of those who surround me a beard of white and a suit of red. I see society morph as the last month of our year pays its toll. Generosity ri...
The unit of a family is the most prominent essential for all of us. As social human beings, we seek social support in order to thrive, and that is where family comes into play. A family is where you receive love, support, encouragement, and many other social benefits. The total number of households in the United States increased from 63 million in 1970 to 113 million in 2008 (Weeks, 2012). The family has influenced multitudes of people in many ways. The traditional family in the United States consists two-married individuals providing care and stability for their biological offspring also know as the nuclear family. However, the term of a true family has ultimately changed over the last 50 years especially for African Americans.
So, the burning of the doll represents the flaming of the year that just past, and it acts as a symbol for resolution and a gleaming start. Ordinarily, people from this culture tend to be highly religious and spiritual. It is kind of marvelous how much faith and hope people can have towards a higher power and the whole subject of positive and negative energies. Even though, this kind of shows how old-schooled and conservative we continue to be, it is also kind of optimistic and beautiful. The whole superstition that the painful energies ought to be burned in order to acquire a progressive start each year, shows that we believe that it is better to leave the rough memories in the past. It portrays that we prefer to forget about regret and the lack of power we actually need to change several situations. Therefore, it illustrates that we believe that something out there is giving us another chance by granting us the new year and thus we should start without anguish and with a constructive attitude, believing that destiny or life will grant us with excelling goods, and much more blessings.
One of the traditions you will see most often is the Red Packets. Red packets are passed out to children by elders, married couples, and adults. The packages will contain yuan and is believe to keep the children healthy and suppress evil. (“Chinese New Year Traditions.”) Many people will also clean and decorate their house with Fu, Papercutting and door gods. Fu or upside down character of Fu (which means luck) will be posted because upside down it means coming, as in luck will come to those who post it. Door gods are decorative pieces which are placed on the side of an entry to ward off evil spirits. (“Chinese New Year Crafts.”) Some of the more popular foods eaten during the fifteen days of Chinese New Year are dumplings, New Year Cake, Tang Yuan, and LaBa Congee. New Year Cake is a solid cake with glutinous rice flour together with some sugar, it is most popular in eastern china. Tang yuan however is a small ball of glutinous rice flour served in boiling water. They can be filled or unfilled and are traditionally eaten on the fifteenth day or the Lantern Festival. LaBa congee is a mixture of rice, nuts, and beans cooked together. LaBa Congee is usually served at the LaBa festival, which is the 8th day of the last month of the year. (“Chinese New Year Food.”) The final foods eaten are of course noodles and dumplings, throughout the festivities they are eaten because noodles represent long life and dumplings represent wealth because they are similar to silver or gold ingots. During Chinese New Year the people celebrate by writing poetry on the lanterns as well and posting poetry throughout the house. In this poem you can clearly see how the New Year is reveled and enjoyed by the
There are so many different types of family relationships. Whatever form a family takes; it is an important part of everyone’s life. My family has played an important role in my life. Good family relationships serve as a foundation to interactions with others. Supportive families will help children to thrive. The quality of the family relationship is more important than the size of the family. Making the relationships priority, communication, and providing support for one another is key to developing relationships. Family relationships are what make up our world today; they shape the ways that we see things and the ways that we do things.