China News Service, Hong Kong, February 9th: Foreign friends experience the authentic Chinese "New Year's flavor" in Hong Kong
China News Service reporter Dai Xiaolu
"Happy New Year! Congratulations on getting rich!" For Peter Ho, chairman of the Hong Kong Indonesian Chamber of Commerce, his "Spring Festival time" starts when he has a family reunion dinner with his family.
Listening to the cheerful "Happy New Year" and watching the dazzling fireworks, Ho Zhendong smiled and said that celebrating the New Year in Hong Kong has a very special sense of ritual, and he fully feels the charm of traditional Chinese culture. "The Spring Festival is a traditional festival in China. It is an important festival to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. It is also a happy festival for people to reunite with their families."
“The whole family must have a sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner together.” He Zhendong said that the Spring Festival is also a legal holiday in Indonesia. “On the first day of the new year, we will pay New Year’s greetings to our parents and elders and send gifts. Everyone wishes each other and prays for good health in the coming year. transport."
"This year I will celebrate the New Year with my family in Hong Kong to experience the Hong Kong-style New Year." He Zhendong said that during the Spring Festival, Hong Kong has many New Year events. The streets and alleys are decorated with lights and colorful decorations, and the Spring Festival atmosphere is quite strong. “I want to see the Hong Kong float parade.” He lamented that the annual float parade is the highlight of Hong Kong’s New Year celebrations. This year coincides with the Year of the Dragon, and the float themes are more diverse. “The dragon is an auspicious creature. I hope it can Brings good luck and protects the family.”
Wearing new clothes, setting off firecrackers, and collecting "New Year's money"... In the childhood memory of Basil Hwang, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong-Singapore Chamber of Commerce, these are indispensable festive customs during the Spring Festival. As an overseas Chinese, being able to reunite with his family during the Spring Festival is what he looks forward to most. "My grandparents are from Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province." He remembers that when he was a child, he would follow his parents back to his hometown to visit relatives during the Spring Festival. The New Year in mainland China was very lively and fun, and the children would get together to set off firecrackers.
"The Spring Festival is always accompanied by strong family affection." Huang Haochen, who has lived in Hong Kong for nearly 25 years, lamented, "The Spring Festival is an important time for the whole family to get together and share the joys, sorrows and joys of the past year."
The joyful reunion and longing for a glorious new year are common all over the world. “The Spring Festival brings me many wonderful memories.” Amir Lati, Consul General of Israel in Hong Kong, is a “China expert”. He loves Chinese culture and traditional Chinese festivals, and China's "Year of the Dragon" Spring Festival has even more special meaning to him. "I have a daughter who is 12 years old this year. She was born in the Year of the Dragon. This year we will celebrate her 12th birthday, which is very memorable."
"The Chinese Spring Festival reminds me of the Jewish New Year. They both symbolize a new beginning, and they are actually very similar in diet." In Lan Tianming's impression, "Fish is one of the main dishes for the Chinese New Year. , my Chinese friends told me that it represents auspiciousness and means 'abundance every year', and the fish head also symbolizes hope in Judaism."
Lan Tianming said that he is very interested in the unique traditional Chinese culture and customs during the New Year. Before being posted to Hong Kong as the Consul General in Hong Kong, he worked in the Mainland for many years. "I will celebrate the Chinese New Year with local friends." This year, he will celebrate this culturally meaningful festival in Hong Kong with his family. Lan Tianming said that he wanted to watch the dragon and lion dance performance with his family. "It's very Chinese."
"The arrival of the New Year heralds new expectations." Talking about his wishes for the new year, Ho Zhendong said that he hopes that he can achieve more goals and dreams in the new year, and also hopes that Hong Kong's economy will improve in the new year. Stabilizing and improving, society is joyful, harmonious and stable, and everyone can create a better future together. (over)