In recent years, the overseas "Spring Festival fever" has been heating up. At the end of 2023, the Chinese New Year was designated as a holiday by the United Nations, and its international influence is gradually increasing. According to incomplete statistics, nearly 20 countries regard the Spring Festival as a legal holiday, and about one-fifth of the world's population celebrates the Lunar New Year in different forms.
In large cities where overseas Chinese are concentrated, the atmosphere of Spring Festival celebration is warm and strong. Landmark buildings in many countries are lit up with "China Red" to celebrate the arrival of the New Year of the Dragon.
Even in those areas where the concentration of overseas Chinese is not high, overseas travelers are creating "New Year's flavors" in their own way.
Photo courtesy of the interviewee.
Overseas celebrations are abundant.
In the United States, San Francisco Chinatown is one of the largest outside of Asia, with thousands of people gathering for the annual celebratory parade. New York City also hosts lively celebrations, including fireworks and a colorful cultural festival.
Chen Yi (pseudonym), who lives in Seattle, attended Amazon's annual Chinese annual meeting on the first day of the Lunar New Year (February 10). "The quality of the party far exceeded expectations, the whole process was high-energy output, the atmosphere was in place, and I felt the amusement of returning home. Chen Yi lamented to reporters.
Microsoft's Asian Spring Festival Gala is the largest and much-watched Chinese New Year celebration in the Northwest of the United States, which has been held for 23 years. It is reported that this year's Microsoft Asia Spring Festival Gala, as in previous years, consists of two parts of activities, first of all, a garden party in the afternoon, holding activities such as writing Spring Festival couplets, painting fans, guessing riddles, and making lanterns, and a party will be held at 6 o'clock in the evening.
In the United Kingdom, London hosts the world's largest Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia every year. On the morning of February 11, local time, the 2024 New Year Celebration of "Spring in the Four Seas" in London, London, was held in Trafalgar Square, London, with nearly one million visitors enjoying a grand dragon and lion dance, folk performances and parades.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "With the Year of the Dragon celebrations just around the corner, the streets of Trafalgar Square and Chinatown will come alive. I want to say thank you to the Chinese London community for being an integral part of the city we love, driving business, contributing to arts and culture, and helping London become a better city for everyone. ”
In France, the Chinese New Year Makeup Parade in France was also held in Paris on February 11. As an annual event for the overseas Chinese community in France, the event attracted many local people**. With a history of more than 20 years, the Spring Festival Makeup Parade led by the French Overseas Chinese Association and jointly organized by nearly 60 overseas Chinese groups in France has become one of the most important Spring Festival celebrations in Paris and even France.
Create your own "New Year's flavor".
With the Spring Festival being designated as a United Nations holiday, the "Year of China" has been upgraded to the "Year of the World", and there are corresponding celebrations in various countries and regions. Even in some countries and regions where there is not much Chinese gathering, local Chinese choose to create "New Year's flavor" in their own way to celebrate the Spring Festival.
Zheng Yu (pseudonym), who lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, told reporters that because there are not many local Chinese, the atmosphere of the New Year is not very strong, and he has not felt particularly big changes.
He admitted to reporters that there are not many public holidays in the Netherlands itself, and the Chinese New Year is not listed as a public holiday, so he has no additional Spring Festival holidays. "However, our company has a policy that we can apply for the exchange of some religious public holidays, such as the Jesus** Day or Pentecost as an important holiday in our own cultural customs, such as the Chinese New Year. Whether there is a New Year's holiday in the Netherlands depends mainly on the individual company's own policy. However, when you meet colleagues in the company, they will wish you a happy new year when they know that you are Chinese, and many companies will also put some blessings and ** to celebrate the Chinese New Year in their systems."
Mu Mu, who works at a university in Munich, Germany, told reporters that the Spring Festival period coincides with the end of the German school, so the school will not deliberately take the Spring Festival holiday, and there may even be exams on the day of the Spring Festival, but the school may have activities organized by students spontaneously. Local companies in Germany will not be on holiday, and they will not notice that the mall has added decorations especially for the Chinese New Year, but some brands will have some congratulatory words.
Zheng Yu also said that Amsterdam's shopping malls themselves are relatively small, and except for Chinese restaurants, which have some obvious New Year's decorations, other stores do not see special holiday decorations. "But Chinese organizations in the Netherlands will organize some New Year activities, such as the Chinese Spring Festival Gala."
This year is the first time Zheng Yu has spent the Spring Festival alone overseas, and he misses the New Year taste of his hometown very much.
The Spring Festival is not much different from ordinary working days, some friends are busy at work, and only after work can they come out to have dinner to celebrate the New Year. ”
However, Zheng Yu said that he happened to work from home on Chinese New Year's Eve this year, and the Spring Festival Gala was broadcast locally at 1 p.m., so he had the opportunity to watch the Spring Festival Gala. In the evening, after dinner with friends, there was a traditional celebration - playing mahjong, which was a small celebration.
Mu Mu, who has spent three Spring Festivals in Germany, told reporters that this year, as in previous years, friends get together, both Chinese and foreigners. "We can show foreigners traditional Chinese festivals and let them feel the atmosphere of the New Year. This year, we also agreed to wear red clothes, went to the Asian supermarket to buy couplets and dishes, and made dumplings together in the evening." "Giving out red envelopes and making dumplings is our tradition for the New Year, even if you are far away from home and have no family by your side, you must create your own New Year's flavor! ”