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Carrying on family traditions

By Zhang Yuwei (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-02-07 11:32

NEW YORK - For 28-year-old Jerry Sun, the opportunity to spend the Chinese New Year with his immediate family every year is not to be missed.

"It is part of our family tradition, wherever we live or spend it," said Sun, who kicked off the preparations for this year's celebration a couple of weeks ago.

Sun moved with his parents from Qingdao, Shandong province, to New Jersey 14 years ago. He attended junior high school and college in New York and now works as a banker in Manhattan. Although he has a busy life in the financial industry, he lets nothing get in the way of spending the Chinese New Year with his family. Sun said he takes a few days off every year to be with his family at festival time.

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"I think it is because my parents take the Chinese New Year seriously and have made it a family tradition, even though we live in the US," said Sun.

The chief difference in the celebrations now held by the Sun family is that they are smaller.

"I remember when I was younger back in China, we'd have a bigger group of family and relatives coming over to our house," Sun said. "But, here in the US, the group is smaller because we don't have many relatives here."

But New Year's Eve for Sun's family in New Jersey is no different from what it is for a regular Chinese family in China. Food is an important part of Chinese culture and the Suns' reunion starts with his relatives collaborating on a big meal.

"We cook together. We make dumplings every year," said Sun, adding that playing cards and watching the annual New Year's Gala broadcast on China's national television station (CCTV) is also a tradition.

Another difference, Sun said, is that he has begun in the past few years to give out red envelopes. Called hongbao in Chinese, the small packets contain gifts of money for children.

"I used to receive them when I was in school," Sun said. "But now I give them out since I am earning money. I guess it makes sense."

Being a Chinese-American, Sun said he got the best of both worlds by growing up in China and the US. He gladly accepts the two cultures and celebrates festivals from each. When he compares himself to his Chinese-American friends, Sun said he is better off because his parents are more traditional in their New Year's celebrations.

"It's part of my Chinese roots, and I shouldn't lose that," Sun said. "Spending the festival in the most traditional way is what we can do to preserve the culture."

Sun said he would keep the traditions in the future, when he has his own family and kids.