It's not often that a holiday reminds me of my regrets, but Chinese New Year happens to be one of them.
Why, you ask?
Because I still know far to little about my heritage.
I was born in a household that celebrated everything. Chinese New Year, Santa Lucia Day, St. Nicholas Day, Epiphany, Solistice... to name a few. We learned so much about so many different holidays, that I never took the time to really understand this important holiday of my ancestors.
Today marks the first day of the the Year of the Rabbit and I know this because one of my friends (himself Chinese) invited me to a Chinese New Year's Reunion Dinner last night and... Facebook headlines told me so. Yes, I learn much of my relevant news from Facebook links my family and friends post (call it cliff notes for the news).
As we sat around the food laden table, my friend regaled us with the traditions of Chinese New Year. I made sure to eat noodles (for longevity), fish (for prosperity), and all of the other important dishes he shared with us.
Now, partaking in a meal with a group of friends almost always brings me joy and last night was no exception. The only regrets that night were spurred from my disappointment of not being able to be the one to share these wonderful traditions with others.
However, though I'm disappointed in my own lack of knowledge, I am forever appreciative for my friend teaching and reminding me what Chinese New Year is all about.
After all, it's never too late to learn!
Thank you Marcus!
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Awww, you're so sweet! =)
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming and becoming a part of my "Seattle family"!
BTW, I can sympathise with the feeling of lack of knowledge in Chinese culture/traditions... I wrote this awhile ago: http://disoriented.tumblr.com/post/535014096/finding-oneself-a-search-for-cultural-identity
ReplyDeleteVery well written, my friend! We definitely have some feelings in common... sad how we lose interest at a young age and then regret it 10+ years later.
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