A New Chinese Year

My family has always been especially devout to all the traditions and taboos the Chinese New Year brings us, in this case the lunar calendar dictated that the year would begin on February twelve, two thousand twenty-one. As my mind lets me remember, those fifteen  days have always been full of culture and fervent, but something inside of my soul is dragging me to the idea that this year will be vastly memorable, not only because it will be the first time celebrating with a mask on against a pandemic, still because something unique… 

All year has been weird, but something about the eleven of February´s air seemed calm. All of my friends were complaining about how awful it was to match their perfect red kimonos (Symbol happiness, good luck, success and fortune. In addition to protecting them from evil spirits) with a surgical hub.They know it´s for their best because those are the better ones to protect us against the virus, but that plain-looking kind of blue they had, also disgusted me. Even though this little aversion, we passed the evening walking between all streets before it was time to head towards our homes. All houses were decorated with gigant and beautiful red decorations to scare away the beast Nian. As the legend tells us, it is afraid of red, fire and noise, which is part of why the traditions consist of placing red posters outside the houses, as well as throwing fireworks and lighting lanterns to scare away everything bad for the new year. Evening went fast with laughs and delightful eyes thanks to that calm I mentioned before, and when I reached my home, my family had the huge anual meal on the table we always got to welcome the entrant year. There was pork, fish and dumplings; symbols of abundance and good luck, rice cake soup, which brings good fortune; spring rolls; the fruits of fortune; rice sweets and other delicacies. Our house was shining from head to toe, Mom had been cleaning because doing it would expel bad luck and leave behind the past, with all the bad and old, to make way for the future, which is new and bright. As I told you, my family really loves tradition. We sat down on our feet and ate with gratefulness in our souls, and when all my little sisters and grandfathers finished up, it was already time to go to the most important event of the night: The Dragon Dance.

When we arrived the creatures made of paper, silk and bamboo were dancing to the rhythm of the music, and the sky was covered by such fireworks. It was the best landscape of the year, but suddenly without any previous advertising, my stomach felt the kind of way when our minds know something it's about to change our lives. I turned around, there with the youngest of three little sisters in my hand, with my mother, father and other members forward me, there, in the usual spots we took, someone stood by my side and ruined how would be the perfect portrait of my family standing up, looking to the spectacle, if someone had paid attention to all of those years we stood the same. It wasn´t someone without importance, the man standing up beside me was about my age, sixteen years old, tall with perfect black hair and understandable blue eyes. He looked down at mine and asked a normal question like anyone will start a conversation, and from that moment on, I knew my life would turn to something immensely jovial. 

The metal ox was the one that marked the energy of the two thousand twenty-one, and when he said that this would be a year full of energy of order, work and discipline, he was not mistaken. My new friend and I had much in common. We discovered that by endless hours of talking during this Chinese vacation, I was so happy because I never had such a true friend in all of my life. One of our common goals was to recollect some money to be independent from our parents and have the possibility to buy anything we wanted, so as my tradition customs reminded me, we began a ritual to attract good energy. To complete it, we had to place 2 coins in a red bag, the next day another two, and the next two. And after those three days, every day of the year we were going to put coins in that red bag. The ritual is called "the law of compensation", and after a few months that good energy bore a great fruit. One day we were walking with our money to an incredible store that our town was inaugurating, but before we could reach it, our path crossed an orphanage. As we looked through the window, we looked to, at least, twenty gloom faces. All of those kids didn't have more than ten years old, they looked hungry and abandoned probably thanks to the pandemic, and for an instant my heart made me look at that significant red bag I had in my hand. Now, after all of the work and discipline my friend and I had made to buy such insignificant things in a new store, we knew that the great purpose of our friendship was always to work together and bring happiness to others. So we went to the nearest food shop and buyed all kinds of gosseries for about four weeks. We walked upon those kids, and gave them our gift. 

The happiness that flowed from those kids' eyes was worth work. All this crossing I had lived since the new year's meant to this moment. I realized that this ritual of our culture, “the compensation law” doesn’t refer to being compensated with money or something materialistic. Chinese New Year traditions, taboos and experiences are filled with kindness, and without my new friend, great friendship, full of joy and compassion, I wouldn’t have realized that all my life has been towards giving the kindness that the world needs, and more in this pandemic moment.