Roar of tiger without fireworks display

The fact there won’t be a fireworks display at this year’s celebrations of the Chinese New Year hasn’t put a damper on the spirits of Chinese event organizers. Mingliang Jin, 33, a PhD candidate in Nanotechnology, says, ‘We could not fully bring the spirit of the tradition to the university, but having a dinner together is the most important thing. Fireworks are missing since it is not allowed.’ ‘Having dinner together means reunion,’ says Jin, ‘when all family members sit together and wish the others at the table good health for the coming year, as they experienced in the past year.’ Maybe this is the year of the tiger, but Jin, who just returned from a trip to China, normally celebrates in her home city of Jinan, China, with her parents and visits relatives the following day. Of all celebrations in China, this age-old holiday, also named the Spring Festival, is the longest and most important. People wear red clothing, write poems on red paper, and give children ‘lucky money’ in red envelopes-all in an attempt to drive away evil spirits. For the one billion Chinese the color red symbolizes fire as expressed in a shower of fireworks. Steeped in tradition, the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs of a person’s birth year offer future predictions, and in the Western world the horoscope centers on the actual date of birth in relationship to phases of the moon. According to ancient legend the god Buddha asked animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one, announcing that people born in each animal’s year possessed some of that animal’s personality. The local chapter of the Association of Chinese Students and Scholars in the Netherlands (ACSSNL) will celebrate the Chinese New Year on 13 February in the Bastille building. Jin says, ‘During the dinner Dutch friends can have a taste of food and experience the atmosphere. We definitely want to welcome foreign friends.’ Chinese students will open the event, followed by speeches from the Rector Ed Brinksma and Head of the International Office Karen Paardenkooper. The evening starts at 6pm and costs 5 euro. Register before 7 February by email [email protected] To find out your Chinese animal sign and horoscope for 2010, click on www.ofesite.com/spirit/chinese/animal2.htm Tiger years Born in ‘tiger years’ means you are a natural leader and excel in the role as a pilot, actor, writer, or manager. World-known personalities born in the year of the tiger are Demi Moore, Emily Bronte, Tom Cruise, and John Steinbeck.