Dear Forum friends,
Here is what I have seen and heard of the Spring Festival from my little city:
There have been programs on the CBC (government radio station) about the Chinese Spring Festival. I heard music by a group based in Vancouver called "Silk Road." Their music is beautiful. I don't know if it is different from contemporary Chinese music in China, or not.
A couple of days ago a Chinese astrologer and Fung Shui practitioner was interviewed on the radio. He took calls from members of the public who wanted to find out what the coming year held for them. There were very many calls to this program and the people who called in were from all over the province. None seemed to be Chinese. His predictions seemed to be taken seriously by the callers who gave their day and year of birth and also the hour. Sometimes the astrologer suggested Feng Shui remedies that they could use to help to make things better.
Yesterday's issue of The National Post had a big double page centre spreadabout Chinese Astrology, with a huge snake drawing in the centre and around it all the animals, such a Ox, Hare, Dog, Horse, Rat, Tiger, Dragon, and so on. Beside each of the animal drawings was a general forecast of the year for a person of that astrological animal type. On the bottom of the page was a chart so that each reader could find what their own animal, element and Yin or Yang was. I was Ox, Fire, Yin. Uncle Ben was Horse, Metal, Yang, in case you are curious.It seemed to be a very good coming year for me and a "may be good if you are careful in these ways", year for Uncle Ben, so we shall see.
A day or two before the Spring Festival began I saw a full page article in our small local paper giving recipes for two or three Chinese meals and an explanation about the meaning of the festival to Chinese people, and how they celebrate with family and friends. It was a good little article.
Yesterday on the radio again I heard a young mother from Kamloops, married to a non-Chinese and living here now, telling how she experiences the Festival. She is trying hard, together with her non Chinese husband, to retain her culture, especially for her children. She involves her non-Chinese friends and has taught them some Chinese games like Mah Jong, etc. They get together for a tradition meal. As their little son was ashamed to be different from the other children she and her husband decided together that she should take the children home to China for Chinese Festival, and when he came back he was very proud and told all of his friends about the wonders he had seen and about the Festival. He is no longer ashamed, but rather, proud. Now she and her husband think it is time to send her again to China with the two children, as the girl is old enough. I think the husband cannot go because he has to work at his job here. They put up Chinese posters in their home for the festival.
Another thing here is that the government of Canada issued a beautiful large stamp last year for the Year of the Dragon, and again this year for the Year of the Snake. These were our main 46 cent stamps (this year 47 cents) which are used for all regular sized mail that is sent in Canada. So you can see that they were important and widely seen stamps. They are embossed, and very beautiful!
There are not very many Chinese people where I live. One of the city councillors is a Chinese man and is one of the most highly respected of them all.
I know that my daughter who lives in another city took her children to a celebration. Also that another daughter went with her Chinese girlfriend to "Chinatown" in their city, and her friend showed my daughter many good places to buy, and in every store to which they went they all wished each other "Kung hei fat choy!" I don't know if this is Cantonese or Mandarin?
That is all I can report to you so far, from here in British Columbia, Canada about what I have observed of the Spring Festival. Every year there is more.
So-- Kung hei fat choy! -- to you from me. Mary in Canada
