Today marks the first day of the Lunar year or 春一. Aside from the traditional greetings to the elders (grandparents and parents), the children receives the most awaited red envelop or 紅包. In some cases, the grown up working children may give red envelop to their parents. There are sumptuous meals in every house and the festive gatherings usually last until the next fourteen days. People usually go for vacation, either going abroad, to their in-laws or an out of town getaway. The thing is family comes first so you have to be present.
There are also the usual or customary greetings that Chinese people say to everyone during the Lunar year which always involve wealth and health – 恭喜發財 (fortune, happiness, longevity, to name a few). No one in his/her sane mind would say otherwise, unless you’re an actor. I think these words or greetings have similar effect when people pray for each other, give blessing to each other. The more people greet you with the customary greetings the more these words become particularly meaningful and auspicious to one’s life.
In this regard I would like to feature some of these traditional greetings as the theme for my ‘The Song of Simeon’ journal this week. And to all my Chinese family and friends, have a hearty and grace-filled Lunar Year.
福壽雙全 – Blessing/Happiness, Life, Double, Completeness, viz., “May your happiness and longevity be (double) complete.”
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