The Chinese New Year celebrations are best spent in family reunions. The festival is said to be a period when families embrace each other in order to build on relationships and celebrate the community traditions. To them, coming home to have the celebrations is the most essential journey of the year.
During the weeks before the holiday, millions of people go to different cities and also countries to get back to their families. This movement is an extreme human movement of migration that takes place every year. Regardless of the distance they may be to their hometown, most people go an extra mile to come home to celebrate.
The most important thing about the festival is the reunion dinner organized on the New Year Eve. Families sit around a table and eat traditional foods which are associated with good fortune and prosperity. This is not just a food meal, but a food meal that is associated with sharing of experiences and also a meal that celebrates the unity of the family.
There are also a few typical dishes one can find on the reunion dinner. Dumplings are also a sign of wealth as they are shaped like the ancient gold ingots. Fish is a sign of a good fortune in the following year. Sweet rice cakes symbolize development and maturity in life.
Another significant subject of the celebration is respect to elders. The younger family members welcome their seniors with wishes of health and long life. On their part, older adults provide red envelopes filled with money as blessings of success and fortune.
Other activities during the holiday include watching of festive television programs and playing games by families and visiting of relatives. Such practices are used to promote happy memories and improve family relationships.
The celebration takes a few days with the families wishing to meet friends and relatives to give wishes and greetings. These visits are useful in preserving the association in the extended family and community.
The Chinese New Year stresses on the family values and unity. The traditions of reunions help people to remember that relations with people in your family are one of the most precious in life.