Kong Deqi
In recent years, "young people are no longer keen on celebrating the New Year", "young people don't like to visit relatives and friends", "the flavor of the New Year is gradually fading", etc. have often become hot search topics, which seems to indicate that today's young people are not as enthusiastic about the Chinese New Year as before. However, Recently, this trend is reversing - according to the "Guangzhou Daily" report on February 4, many young people are now beginning to create their own "New Year customs" and re-experience the fun of the Spring Festival. For example, this year's "new Chinese-style clothing" has become a hot topic, and many young people have purchased new Chinese-style clothing with traditional Chinese cultural elements to create a festive atmosphere for themselves and their families. At the same time, young people have begun to purchase new year products that suit the tastes of the younger generation.
New Year customs are not static, but change over time. They include not only traditional New Year elements, but also some new concepts and customs. Under the core theme of the Chinese New Year, going home for reunion, young people have more and more actions of their own choice. In fact, as social culture gradually diversifies, except for the most basic value connotations, customs are no longer uniform, replaced by a series of personalized choices by young people.
This “takeover” and active participation of young people in the “New Year” can be seen in consumption. According to data from major online shopping platforms, searches for young clothing such as new Chinese-style jackets with national style elements and small cross-body "dragon" bags for the Spring Festival have increased significantly recently, becoming the "top trend" before the Spring Festival. In addition, Spring Festival couplets, one of the traditional New Year products, have also been given new ways of playing by young people - whether it is straightforward expressions, homophonic pictographic forms, or joyful overlapping of words, they all pursue freedom and spontaneity, which is incompatible with traditional The Spring Festival couplets form a sharp contrast... In this way, young people find their own joy of celebrating the New Year and rekindle their love for the Spring Festival.
Observing the new changes in Spring Festival customs in recent years, many people interpret it as young people competing to become the "New Year host". This statement sends two signals. First of all, young people's interest in "Celebrating the New Year" is gradually returning. Unlike before, they no longer passively participate, but actively organize and plan. Secondly, as this generation of young people gradually grow into the backbone of the family, their voice and dominant position in New Year matters continue to increase. From a certain perspective, this also means the occurrence of intergenerational handover. The responsibility for organizing the New Year has been transferred from parents to children. This is an inevitable change.
Perhaps this is one of the meanings of the Spring Festival. It quietly integrates generations of people into the traditional genealogy of the family, and also draws young people back into China's unique cultural structure. As some scholars once said, culture needs to be passed on through memory. We must not only build bridges between the present and the past of individuals, but also build bridges between different generations of society, otherwise culture will disappear without a trace. Through some new New Year customs, young people are closely connected with traditional culture in the context of the Spring Festival.
Who can resist the charm of the Spring Festival? Everyone's favorite New Year customs may vary from person to person, but they all express the cherishment of reunion, the hope for the New Year, and the attachment to tradition. Various styles and regional customs coexist, jointly bringing people into the "Spring Festival time". This is actually the cultural gene engraved deep in the soul of every Chinese person, and it is the value identity and spiritual consensus formed and continuously consolidated over thousands of years. In fact, it doesn’t matter who leads the New Year celebrations. The key is to let more people participate, so that everyone and every generation, including young people, can gain joy and growth from it.