Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Fides Service) – January 22 marks the beginning of festivities for Lunar New Year this year, which for Chinese speaking people the world over has become a globalised event. Chun Jie or the Spring Festival, is celebrated by the Chinese not only in China, but all over the world among 30 million emigrants in at least 120 different countries: 20 million in other Asian countries: 1.8 million in the United States, 380.000 in 25 different countries of Europe; 180.000 in Oceania and about 60.000 in Africa.
In New York, in Paris, in the Fiji Islands, in Africa Chinese, communities decorate windows, doors, shops and streets with traditional red decorations in. Even the Empire State Building in New York greets the new Lunar Year with twinkling lights red and gold.
Paris, twinned with Beijing, has its own a Chinese New Year Party on the Champs Elisées, this year on Saturday 24 January. London’s Chinatown will be ablaze with red decorations. New York streets are filled with people, Chinese and non, in typical Chinese dress, the Tanzhuang. International telephone centres are teeming with people anxious to call families far away to exchange new year greetings.
In 2002 Indonesia made the first day of Lunar New a bank holiday. And last year 2003 New York City also decided to make it a holiday in the city. The United States even issues special Lunar New Year stamps with the Chinese zodiac figure of the year. This new year is dedicated to the monkey, a symbol of prosperity, intelligence and wealth.
For people in the Far East Lunar New Year is also a religious festivity. In these days people crowd into Buddhist temples in Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. (ZN) (Fides Service 20/01/2004 Lines: 33 Words: 344)
