Spring Festival at My Grandparents’
2016-02-22
As usual, I paid a visit to my grandparents at a small village of Jiangji town, Ningyang county in Tai’an on the third day of the first lunar month, which fell on February 10. It was the time of the year when kids enjoyed a month-long holiday, adults took a few days off their business and filed work, and everybody was immersed in the festive mood of family reunion and accompaniment.
After having greeted all the relatives and neighbors in the village first, every woman took a hand at the preparation of a sumptuous lunch. Be it local specialty as shredded chicken, meatballs soup and fried fish , or cold dish and fresh vegetables, everything were filled with the distinctive flavor that was Spring Festival all over.
Meatballs soup at my grandparents' in Ningyang
Making dumplings was the order of the day. As my aunt was in charge of making the dough, my mom mixing the stuffing and rolling the pastry, I was left to make dumplings solely. Started as a little helper since a little girl, I was now an expert and quickly finished the 100-odd dumplings without break.
Making dumplings at my grandparents' in Ningyang
After lunch, my aunts and uncles were eager to show their skills at the cards-playing table into full play. Sometimes they fought fiercely over 5 points, while sometimes they burst into laughter when their team earned great scores. Everyone was enjoying the game as much as they could, as it put their worries far behind and gave them a complete rest from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
Playing cards at my grandparents' in Ningyang
How about the seniors and minors? We’d decided to take some fresh air and exercise our muscles at the newly-built fitness square! Though still a little barren in the background, we had a great time taking exercises while chatting about the great changes that had taken place in this village and our family in the past decades and looking forward to better lives yet to come.
Taking exercises at the fitness square in Ningyang
And this year was especially joyful for everyone, as a little new life-- my nephew, joined our family. Holding him in your arms and trying to make him laugh would make you realize the magic of life and what the family meant in the first place: the continuation of life.
My grandparetns and my nephews at my uncle's in Ningyang
It seems that the flavor of Spring Festival is gradually losing among people of all ages: the elders grieve over the fleeting of time and declining of health, the middle-aged shoulder too much pressure from work and family, while young people are agitated by the constant urging of their relatives. But Spring Festival is more than rich meals and a few days’ rest. It is about family reunion and accompaniment, of sitting down with all your beloved ones, looking back at the past and looking forward to a new year with happiness and prosperity. As long as there’s love, Spring Festival will always be there, summoning all of us home with joy forever.
Family photo at my uncle's in Ningyang: wishing everyone a very happy 2016!
yes,it is also common scene in spring festival al over the china.
I like you say one sentences that as long as there's love,spring festival will always be there.
Happy and wish your large family in 2016.
Good article, but what is in the depth of farmers' mind that could leave readers more impression?
Comment