Welcoming the Rooster year

The Lunar New Year officially starts with the noise of crackers which wake us once the clock struck midnight. We are so used to it that without those noises we would be feeling awkward. Chinese New Year is not only awaited by the Chinese but also by all of us Malaysians. Festive seasons always get us all excited since it allows the exchange of culture especially through food and also enables us to express our appreciation towards our diversify nation. Our diversity is a blessing and is our strength as well.

I always thought that Chinese New Year is about being as a family at home and spending time together. However, the trend has changed where families with small children use this time to take them on a tour of the city while some choose to spend their quality time with family in a cinema watching a good movie. No matter how many years passes the Red color and oranges which highlight the festive mood never goes missing.

It is a rare thing for me to go out during festivals since my preference would be staying at home with home cooked food and good movies. Breaking that regular routine ended up with full of surprises. Well, yesterday I headed out to the city with my cousin sister for some quality “Girl Time”.  After lunch, instead of thinking to walk around we fasten our footsteps to the sound of cymbals crashing combined with the sound of gongs and drums. The small kid within me just got released seeing the beautiful lions in front me. 

“Lion Dance” is the first thing which comes to my mind if it is Chinese New Year. When I was small, upon hearing the sound of cymbals and gongs I would run to the place just to have a glimpse of the Lion Dance. Of course, there will be a huge crowd surrounding the place so I didn’t really have the chance to see clearly. This time, however, I got a golden chance where a special performance was held in Berjaya Times Square with a small crowd since major viewers were standing on each floor. The red lions which consisted of four dancers were an eye catcher since the elegance was portrayed in the dance. The leader who stood in front was directing them on the moves and requested them to jump to perform certain moves. When they were delaying certain steps he would have a stern look on his face. By the time the performance ended the dancers were sweating and received a round of applause.

During the performance, everyone’s gadget was up since they were able to give such an impact on the spectators. A performance will never be a success without hard work. Lion dance acquires passion, discipline, and dedication. Without these, it will never be a performance which will be admired by all. The stern looking leader symbolizes the discipline behind the dance. Procrastination leads us down the drain while hard work leads to success, not in a short time of course but gradually. This is a common lesson yet some along the way tend to forget it and attempt for shortcuts. Remember, that those dancers too had to fall and practice many times before they master the dance.

The beauty of this festival also is about the beauty of sacrifices.  Those lion dancers instead of being with family they perform for the people and gain their happiness as a Chinese New Year gift. They would also be those who have to run restaurants to cater the need of their customers. To me, it is not only business but their way of celebrating the Chinese New Year, making people happy. Every festival which we welcome comes with its own lesson. A celebration of hard work and an acknowledgment for family bonding is what I learned from the Chinese New year celebration. There might be different ways of celebration but the reunion dinner and tossing the ‘Yee Sang’ will never be missed.

Interpretation of a festival does not only bind to tradition but it may also involve a person’s perception to further enhance the meaning of the celebration. Besides enjoying the public holiday at home, let’s also use the time to look at the decorations done by expertise to create the feeling of the festival and also share the spirit of the celebration with gratitude. The rooster year was a blast for me and dear Chinese folks “Happy Chinese New Year!” .I hope it’s not too late to wish and hope this will be a celebration to remember for a lifetime.

Source: Google images