The Chinese New Year is the most important festival of the year for the Chinese. It is not only a day to celebrate the New Year, but also a day for reunion, sacrifice, prayer and inheritance. However, with the development and changes of society, our sense of the New Year seems to be getting weaker and weaker, and celebrating the New Year becomes more and more like a routine. Our family ties are beginning to disintegrate rapidly, our old traditional customs are rapidly withdrawing from the stage of history, and our family ties and friendships are becoming increasingly weak. Why is this? This article will analyze the underlying reasons behind social changes from the following aspects.
The richness and convenience of material life
An important meaning of the Chinese New Year is to satisfy people’s material needs and desires. In an era of material scarcity, the Chinese New Year is a day when you can eat delicious food, wear new clothes, receive red envelopes, and buy new things. However, with the development of the economy and the improvement of consumption levels, our material life has become very rich and convenient. We can buy all kinds of food, clothes, electronic products, etc. anytime and anywhere, and we no longer need to wait until the Chinese New Year to enjoy these. The material stimulation of the New Year is no longer so strong and tempting.
The development and popularization of transportation and communications
Another important significance of celebrating the New Year is to satisfy people’s emotional needs and desires. In an era of inconvenient transportation and underdeveloped communication, the Chinese New Year is a day when you can see relatives and friends far away. People will prepare their luggage in advance, get on trains, cars, and planes, and rush back to their hometowns to reunite with their relatives. People hug, greet, chat, and share their lives and moods with each other. However, with the development and popularization of transportation and communication, our sense of distance has been greatly reduced. We can make phone calls, send text messages, and video chat anytime and anywhere. We can learn about the dynamics and status of our relatives and friends through various social media. We no longer need to wait until the New Year to connect and communicate. The emotional exchanges during the New Year are no longer so scarce and precious.
Pressure and competition in work and life
Another important meaning of celebrating the New Year is to satisfy people’s spiritual needs and pursuits. In an era when work and life were relatively simple and stable, the Chinese New Year was a day for relaxation, entertainment, learning, and inheritance. People will participate in various New Year activities, such as posting Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers, dragon and lion dances, watching plays, guessing lantern riddles, etc., to feel the strong festive atmosphere and cultural heritage. People will also take this opportunity to learn and pass on some traditional knowledge, skills, values, etc., to enhance their cultural confidence and sense of identity. However, as the pressure and competition in work and life intensify, our spiritual lives have become very complex and turbulent. We need to face various challenges and difficulties, such as entering a higher education, getting a job, starting a business, buying a house, getting married, having children, caring for the elderly, etc. We need to constantly learn and adapt to new knowledge, technology, environment, rules, etc. We need to constantly Compare and compete with others to safeguard your own interests and dignity. We don’t have much time and energy to participate in and enjoy those traditional annual activities, to learn and pass on the traditional culture. Spiritual satisfaction during the New Year is no longer so easy and important.
Summarize
The flavor of our New Year is getting weaker and weaker, and celebrating the New Year is becoming more and more like a routine, which is the inevitable result of social changes. This is a process of changes in material, emotional, and spiritual needs and supplies, a process of transformation from an agricultural society to a modern society, and a process in which the wheel of history rolls forward. We cannot stop or reverse this process, but we do not have to be pessimistic and disappointed. In this process, we can find our own position and role, our own value and meaning, and our own happiness and happiness. In this process, we can retain and create some New Year flavors that suit us, and we can retain and create some ways of celebrating the New Year that suit us. In this process, we can respect and understand different choices and attitudes, and respect and understand different cultures and traditions. In this process, we can feel and cherish every New Year moment, every relative and friend with our heart and love. In this process, we can use wisdom and courage to welcome and create every new year’s opportunity and every new self.
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