Global Q&A: ‘How is Chinese New Year celebrated in your country?’

Barcelona, Spain: Alicia Crespo Alvarez, 41, Saleswoman: Barcelona is one of the cities where it is celebrated in a big way, because of the number of Chinese citizens living here. At home, they perform their traditions such as cleaning their home or business, throwing out old brushes, cleaning cutlery and glasses, putting away scissors and knives so as not to attract bad luck. They also perform a parade with dragons in the middle of the city. On the Chinese calendar, I would be born in the “Year of the Ox” and the year 2015 is represented as the year of the Goat, yin energy—a symbol of peace, social harmony, and tranquillity. It is the eighth sign of the Chinese calendar, which is a lucky number and of prosperity and peace, according to Chinese beliefs.

Chinese New Year is a very important event and is celebrated in a big way wherever there is a large local Chinese community. However, these celebrations are not so well known in countries where there is a small local Chinese community. This is what Epoch Times reporters from areas such as Spain to Peru discovered when they asked locals,

“How is Chinese New Year celebrated in your country?”

 

Puerto Montt, Chile: Magdalena Silva, 55, Independent Merchant: In my country, [Chinese New Year] is quite unknown. It does not have a connotation to many other festivities that are already part of our customs, such as our religious festivals, which have been introduced; although the Chinese have proliferated in my country and have become famous for their business expansions. For me to find out about their New Year celebrations, I had to visit their websites to get a sense of their festivities, which seemed very rich in traditions and content. It seemed surprising that they are held for so long; we prepare for it in only 24 hours and everything is behind us—a few cabals and that's all. It is understandable that a nation with so much tradition and history performs so much joyous noise.