Spring Festival: A timeless celebration embracing innovation and global connection

Editor's note: Wang Yan, a special commentator for CGTN, is an associate research fellow at the Beijing Foreign Studies University. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of CGTN.

To Chinese people, the Spring Festival stands as the most significant traditional festival, embodying thousands of years of cultural accumulation and spiritual heritage. Millions of Chinese families reunite during this most cherished time of the year, reaffirming the eternal values of reunion, harmony, and blessing.

This year's Spring Festival, however, witnessed a fascinating evolution in how these age-old traditions are observed and celebrated. While the customary family reunion dinner, the elaborate New Year's Eve feast, and the ritual exchange of greetings remain the cornerstone of the celebration, a growing number of young people have embraced innovative approaches to mark the occasion. Digital greetings sent through social media platforms, live-streamed Spring Festival activities that transcend geographical boundaries, and online purchases of traditional New Year goods have become increasingly prevalent. These technological adaptations do not diminish the festival's essence; rather, they serve as new vessels carrying the same profound cultural meanings, much like how the Spring Festival Gala has evolved from a single-venue broadcast to a multi-studio production connecting Chinese diaspora worldwide.

The globalization of Spring Festival celebrations presents another compelling dimension of this cultural phenomenon. As Chinese communities across Europe, the United States, Africa, and beyond tune in to live streams and organize local celebrations, the festival has transcended its original geographical and ethnic confines. Foreign friends, drawn by the universal appeal of family reunion and the joy of new beginnings, increasingly participate in these festivities. The Spring Festival, in this sense, has become not merely a Chinese celebration but a global testament to humanity's shared yearning for connection and renewal.

Yet, amid these transformations, the core values of Spring Festival remain steadfast and unwavering, with the concept of "tuanyuan" (reunion), the pursuit of "hexie" (harmony), and the exchange of "zhufu" (blessings) anchoring the celebration. Similarly, though the Spring Festival Gala, apart from its main venue in Beijing, broadcast via sub-venues in Harbin, Yiwu, Hefei, and Yibin, and the countdown to the New Year may be shared through screens across continents, yet the emotional peak – that moment when millions join voices to sing "Unforgettable Tonight" – remains as powerful as ever. The lyrics still echo the fundamental Chinese worldview: "Home is the smallest state, and the state is the biggest home."

The challenge and opportunity lie in striking a delicate balance between preserving these time-honored traditions and fostering meaningful innovation. Traditions that remain static risk becoming museum pieces, while those that adapt thoughtfully gain renewed vitality. The Spring Festival's embrace of digital technology and global participation does not represent a departure from tradition but rather its natural evolution – much as the festival itself has continuously absorbed regional customs and ethnic minority arts throughout its long history.

For the young generation, who navigate between globalized modernity and cultural roots, this balance is particularly significant. Having experienced diverse cultures abroad, as discussed in the context of international education, they return with heightened confidence in their own heritage. They recognize that cultural identity, like the spiritual code embedded in festivals, is not eroded by external influences but strengthened through meaningful dialogue. The Spring Festival thus becomes a living tradition, where the ancestral practice of honoring family merges seamlessly with contemporary expressions of care, where the ancient ritual of exchanging red envelopes finds new form in digital transfers, yet carries the same wishes for prosperity and well-being.

Looking forward, as China continues its journey of development and increasing integration with the world, the Spring Festival will undoubtedly assume new forms and reach wider audiences. Yet its fundamental role – as the biggest Chinese family reunion, as the crystallization of happiness and hope, as the annual reaffirmation of cultural identity – will endure. The festival teaches us that true cultural confidence does not resist change but embraces it, knowing that the values at the heart of celebration are strong enough to transcend any particular form of expression.

When the fireworks illuminate the night sky at midnight, from Beijing to Bangkok, from Shanghai to San Francisco, they light up the shared aspirations: for family unity, for national prosperity, for a better tomorrow. The Spring Festival, in its magnificent continuity and graceful adaptation, illustrates how a civilization honors its past while confidently stepping into the future. And as long as there are hearts that beat for home, and souls that seek connection with their roots, this celebration will continue to resonate – across generations, across borders, carrying its message of reunion, harmony and blessing to an increasingly interconnected world.

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