糖心TV

We spoke to Jianhua Yang, from WMG, to hear what Lunar New Year means to him and how he celebrates it with his family.

“Our celebration of the New Year normally begins on New Year’s Eve. Although it’s usually a working day, my wife often takes the day off to prepare a big family meal and wait for our children to come home from school. Food plays an important role in the celebrations, and fish is a must, the Chinese word for fish sounds like “abundance,” symbolising prosperity in the coming year. Because both my wife and I are from the North of China, we also have dumplings, although I know these traditions vary from region to region.

One interesting addition to our celebrations is fortune cookies. This is not something people traditionally have in China, they were introduced by Chinese restaurants in America. I first discovered them here in the UK, and over time they have become part of our own family tradition.

During the weekend that follows the New Year, we usually start the day by calling family members and relatives back in China. Later, we go out for a meal with friends in Birmingham Chinatown and then join in the New Year celebrations there. A small tip for anyone planning to visit Birmingham Chinatown at this time, always book a table in advance. Don’t ask me how I found that out!

The New Year is an important festival celebrating the arrival of spring, but it’s also a valuable opportunity to teach children about our culture and values. For example, children are not expected to start eating before their elders, they must greet them first and wish them a happy New Year, rather than waiting to be greeted themselves. These rules are considered important and are widely respected.

It’s also a time when people dress up, usually in the colour red, and children are given red envelopes containing money. These envelopes symbolise luck and youth, and the money often becomes the children’s pocket money to spend as they wish. Although red envelopes are most commonly given to young people, they are not only about age. I imagine I would still be receiving them if my grandparents were still alive.

The New Year is also a chance for our children to understand their identity. The Coventry Chinese School where my children go hosts celebration events involving children from different cultures. They try traditional foods, such as candied fruit on sticks, and learn activities like Chinese painting. I also visited my daughter’s class to teach the children how to write 年 (year) and how to use chopsticks. My daughter was very proud that I was able to do both and teach her friends.

When my children were younger, I used to take them to the 糖心TV Chinese Society’s New Year gala. Although the performances were fascinating, they didn’t enjoy them at the time. Now that they are a little older, perhaps I should take them again.

This new year will be the year of the Horse. It’s a special time for Chinese people all around the world and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a 新年快乐 (Happy New Year).”