Non-Chinese celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-13-2008 12:43

More and more non-Chinese are starting to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.

This year, Bill is celebrating Spring Festival in Beijing.

Bill Howard is getting ready to welcome the Chinese Lunar New Year in style.

This is his fourth spring festival in China. But it's hard to decide which decorations he likes best. It's the first time for this American to buy them on his own.

Bill had spent three years working for the Ford Motor Company in southwestern municipality of Chongqing until retiring last year.

Every Spring Festival, Chinese families there would invite him for dinner at their home.

Bill Howard said, "I just love the Chinese people and their spirit. It's just contagious. It makes me feel I'm right at home during this holiday season."

This year, Bill is celebrating Spring Festival in Beijing.

With a growing interest in Chinese folk arts, he wants to expand his experience in the traditional Chinese festival by doing as Chinese do.

His first step is checking out the essentials.

Bill Howard said, "One thing I've noticed about China is that every year things change. For example in America, it's our Christmas with the Baby Jesus, with Santa Claus, with Silent Night. But in China, every year there is a new theme. The first year when I was here, I think it was the Year of Rooster. Then it was the Year of Dog. Then it was the Year of Pig. Now it's the Year of Mouse."

In recent years, as East keeps meeting West, more and more non-Chinese, both in China and elsewhere, are getting to know Spring Festival.

Many of them readily share the exuberance of the holiday.

Spring Festival celebrations may differ from those on the Christmas.

And different people have their own ways to spend the Lunar New Year.

Bill says what he's noticed most is not the differences, but the similarities.

Bill Howard said, "I think it's common in all people that at sometime of the year, you stand back and look back what your past year was like and look forward to the future. Try to emphasize the good things that happened before and repeat them and make them better in the years to come."

Bill says the Year of Pig saw closer ties with his Chinese friends.

And he's going to carry that into the Year of Rat.

Like the Chinese, Bill's hoping these paper cuts will bring him good luck. And he's also hoping to bring his family next year to experience Spring Festival together.

Editor:Zhang Ning