Lunar new year is fast approaching. On the streets in Flushing, crowds moved along the sidewalk like a swift-flowing river. They hustled in and out of shops, readying for the celebration. Decorations and signages, hung up high at the pop-up shops, shone brilliantly in red and gold. The scenery brought me straight back to over half a century ago.
In those days, New Year preparations were time consuming and labor intensive. To send away the old things and replace them with new items 除舊佈新, every household was busy cleaning—from top to bottom, every surface, every piece of furniture. Ingredients for New Year’s Eve dinner would require multiple trips to the market. Since most of the vendors at the market would not return until around Lantern Festival, it is necessary to stock up.[1]
We would be home for winter break. Proudly, we helped with cleaning: starting with organizing our own books and toys. We would wax the floor by hand one little bit at a time. We polished the windows, sometimes, standing on a chair to reach the top corners. Mom always made sure that we had plenty fresh foods as well as items that would not get spoiled—sausages and dried goods. I would go shopping with her, helping her carrying things home. The market would be overly crowded with vendors and shoppers negotiating vigorously.
Weeks before New Year, the arcades on the main street near my house would become extended commercial spaces with overflowing seasonal merchandise on display.[2] Beautifully wrapped candies and pastries were piled high in front of the bakery; padded jackets 棉襖 in bright colors, more for children than for adults, hung outside of the clothing stores. Stationary shop had greeting cards, calendars, and red-envelopes of various designs and sizes. The signage shop was a sea of red and gold. They also carried candles, firecrackers and ceremonial supplies. The neighborhood calligrapher would be busy writing New Year couplets on red rice paper—mostly with traditional greetings but also taking special requests.[3]
For thirty odd years, I spent Spring Festival 春節 here. Occasionally, I got to celebrate it with my Asian friends. Last year, I flew home to be with my family. Things really changed. Handmade decorations and signages were hard to find. Plastic replaced paper. Eco-friendly firecrackers smelled and sounded different. Instead of visiting friends and relatives, city folks all left town for vacations. I wonder if the younger generations know that they really miss on something special.
[1]Lantern Festival is on the first full moon of the lunar year.
[2]Perhaps because of frequent rains and thunderstorms, street-facing commercial buildings in Taiwan have exterior pedestrian arcades. 三峽老街 (Sanxia Old Street)
Similar architectural styles can be found in many South Asian countries. Although publicly accessible, these arcades are considered private spaces.
[3]New Year couplets are the most commonly seen decoration. Pairs of celebratory verses, written on red rice paper, are posted on each side of front gates. Often a third horizontal scroll is placed above the gate. Hand-written scrolls have become rare in the recent years.
新春春聯 (New Year couplets): 歡歡喜喜過好年; 四季平安好富貴 (Happily celebrating a good year; peace and wealth throughout four seasons.)
手寫春聯 (Hand-written couplets): Short documentary on Taiwanese calligrapher Zhang Zhi Wei and his work. Starting when he was seventeen years old, he has been creating New Year couplets for twenty-two years. On average, he writes ten thousand scrolls every year.
