A Fan-filled Chinese New Year

First came the firecrackers. That’s to drive out evil spirits. Then colorful Chinese dragons and lions dance to a certain beat that would definitely draw attention. These dragons go around and “eat” the ang pao or the red envelopes, as well as the offerings placed along its path. Yes, the Year of the Water Snake has ushered in and this was welcomed all around the world.

Chinese New Year is very much celebrated in the Philippines, especially in Binondo, which is the location of the Chinatown in Manila. Chinese beliefs and traditions are very much alive in Philippine society. The history of the Philippines shows that there is great Chinese influence to its present culture. But apart from this, it is basic knowledge that Chinese communities are found in almost every country around the globe.

I’m familiar with the Chinese New Year celebrations but I haven’t really participated in one, until recently. It was fun to witness a dragon eat fruits, such as pineapples, and candies, and then give them out to bystanders as a sign of good fortune. Luck and prosperity is present in many Chinese practices. I’ve visited a Feng Shui Museum in Xi’an, China where our guide explained to us the many lucky positions, shapes, and things that are in harmony with nature or “chi”.

But probably, what made the Chinese New Year festivities I witnessed even more interesting was the Chinese fan painting exhibit. No less than Miss World 2012 Wenxia Yu from China opened the exhibit. Fan painting is also an old Chinese art. In fact, I loved the Chinese fan that was gifted to me before, which I lost, so I really looked for similar one when I visited China two years ago.

Any festivities won’t be complete without food. Nian gao, or rice cake (“tikoy” in Filipino) is cooked and served during the Chinese New Year. I hope that I’d be able to witness Chinese New Year celebrations in other countries as well. And eat some “tikoy”, too!