During this segment of the February 13 broadcast of Marvels of China: Pathways to the Pacific Rim I mentioned to the listening audience that this Lunar New Year marked the 70th anniversary of the first peacetime holiday in postwar China. My late-father was in China for the festivities with the 1st U.S. Marine Division stationed in Tianjin.
In Beijing, Henry Lieberman of the New York Times reported that the city “sounded like a city under siege as its inhabitants observed their first peacetime Chinese New Year with a firecracker cannonade theoretically designed to scare away the devils and to summon friendly spirits and attract prosperity.”
“The Chinese here made up for it this year with sputtering petards and huge cannon crackers that made sleep virtually impossible,” Mr. Lieberman reported. “Most ricksha boys, who work in all weather throughout the year, have taken the day off and only a few can be seen on the streets.” Shopkeepers and households pasted red paper strips outside their doors with the symbols of the “Five Happiness’s”: Felicity, Honor, Longevity, Joy and Riches.
Today, people around the world like you and me celebrate the Lunar New Year with hope and anticipation of new beginnings and better times ahead.
Remember your history. Remember our Greatest Generation. Remember those who sacrificed for the peace and celebrations we enjoy today.
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