February is the month when Ukrainians have already forgotten about the long traditional New Year and Christmas celebrations, feasts, guests and gradually get into the normal working routine. This is the last opportunity to enjoy the winter before the spring thaws, shoes wet from yesterday's snow streams and the approach of summer.
However, thousands of kilometers from
For Ukrainians this country has always been interesting, exotic, unexplored, so stories about Chinese life and traditions attract attention and make the interlocutor listen.
The representatives of the Departments of Public Relations and International Relations talked about the New Year in China with Wang Nan, a postgraduate student of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. He said that in his homeland, the date of the celebration is determined according to the lunisolar calendar. This year the Chinese have a New Year on February
«In my country, this holiday is very respected and loved. In total, the celebration lasts 15 days. Those who work have 7 days off and students can have a rest for about a month,» says Wang Nan, adding that he noticed that in both Ukraine and China New Year's celebrations take a long time. During the New Year and Christmas period Wang Nan was in Lutsk. Most of all he liked the nativity scene and the Christmas crèche in the Ukrainian celebration.
According to the postgraduate, the Chinese call the New Year the Spring Festival, or Chunjie. According to the Chinese legend, it is dedicated to the liberation from the monster that every year attacked the inhabitants of one village, destroying their property and livestock. A wise man saved people from the terrible monster who frightened him with red inscriptions, explosions of slap-sticks, flames. That's why every year the Chinese decorate everything in red, turn on the lights and do not go to bed that night.
Nan said that the celebration of the New Year varies a bit in different parts of China: «In my city, on the doors of their houses, people write wishes for the next year for the ones who come. For example, joy, health, earn more money in the New Year than in the previous year.»
Besides, in the small homeland of the postgraduate from China bright balls are hung on the streets, on which various logical, sometimes tricky questions and riddles are written. Each person, having thought well, should give oneself an answer to them.
In addition, Wang Nan said that for the New Year the Chinese set the holiday table with many different dishes – meat with potatoes in pots, dumplings, or, as they are called in China, jiaozi – a dish of dough and meat, which resembles pelmeni.
Traditionally, the Chinese children receive gifts. However, these are not the usual for Ukrainians sweets, toys, etc. «During the celebration, parents give their children money. This is a New Year's tradition. In Western countries, such as the United States, parents tell their children "I love you." In China parents express love differently. Children receive money in special red Christmas envelopes,» said the postgraduate from China.
This year Wang Nan will not celebrate the New Year at home, but he will try to create the New Year's atmosphere in Lutsk, prepare traditional dishes and communicate with relatives.
The Volyn-Chinese postgraduate student also wished all Ukrainians good health and a lot of joy in the new year.
Andrii PETRUSHKO,
Public Relations Department