🎇 New Year
On New Year’s Eve, I realized I had long lost the joy of celebrating the New Year. In the past, I could view it as a ritual, a “save point” between the old and new, but when rituals transform into lengthy procedures, most of the sentimentality gets worn away.
I no longer need specific moments or occasions to bid farewell to my old self. Even if I did, that moment had already passed when we turned from 2023 to 2024. Now, the New Year feels more like a task, with traditional family gatherings being just another part of this obligation.
I’m still trying to learn how to feel the passage of time, preferably not in yearly units. Therefore, the New Year holds no special meaning for me. Rather than actively experiencing the new year, I quietly wait, letting the interpersonal relationships and affairs of the Spring Festival wash over me repeatedly.
The New Year has become passive rather than active.
🧨 What’s Different About This Year?
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The night before New Year’s Eve, a rural version of the Spring Festival Gala was performed on the ancestral hall’s stage. Recently returned wealthy individuals have transformed into new “local gentry” through donations and social connections, creating new social platforms within the village.
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Surrounding villages are racing to build grand ancestral halls. The size and decoration of these halls have become a matter of competition, though they often lack substantial cultural artifacts and essence despite their impressive exteriors. The donations behind these constructions are more about wealth, status, and face.
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A new tradition has emerged of women returning to their maiden homes, or more accurately, a ritual. Red carpets, parades, cloaks, and festive red decorations will likely become standard next year.
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New houses are increasingly built closer to the roads, while old houses hide behind them, housing the elderly left behind.
📝 memos
How Has the New Year Spirit Been Lost?
Rural family gatherings now use disposable tableware instead of traditional ceramic bowls and wooden chopsticks.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
The plot and character development feel incomplete. My expectations were too high, leading to disappointment with the animation.