New Year's Day: A Memoir

People hardly celebrate the New Year's Day now. To them it's just an additional Sunday because it feels like a weekend or something like that. Since Christmas is more attracting, then the new year's day will be absolutely knocked out? I know Christmas makes so much sense.

But it sounds unfair to the new year's day, isn't it? There are so many important things that you can do. For example, you stay up to watch the clock striking and then go to bed or relish the thought of a brand new year, brand new opportunities and a brand new start. It's just like you are given a new life, when you open your diary you start on a brand new page of 2009 and you can write anything you like on it! You will have so much fun, won't you? It actually means a lot, I guess.

Why do people hit the road on Christmas? Oh the other hand, they would like to say, um, well, you know, "what's the big deal for the New Year's day. No one's going to celebrate it. " Oh my golly gosh! I think the new year's day deserve your attention better.

In my hometown, the arrival of the new year usually means a huge celebration with lots of fireworks. It is an especially big deal because of the large number of soldiers living in the area. I guess it will be quiet this year due to the current situation-dry weather.

The year 2008 has been an important year for my hometown since records have been kept. My mom and dad will go to bed early and get up early to eat their jiaozi (dumplings). Most of the young people will stay up until after midnight and eat their special food at that time for good luck and prosperity during the new year.

Another cuisine they will eat may be the fishes, which are sometimes called "five flavored fish" and are considered by the wealthy only good to be fed to the livestock. It was, however, eaten with gusto by the people, who sometimes had little else to eat.

The addition of either shrimp or chicken makes it a complete protein and a nutritious meal with the addition of greens and/or onion. The fact that it is considered a decent dish led to the tradition of eating it the first day of the new year to ensure prosperity.