CHINESE NEW YEAR孔尚任: 蕭疏白髮不盈顛，守歲圍爐竟廢眠。剪燭催幹宵夜酒，傾囊分遍買春錢。聽燒爆竹童心在，看換桃符老興偏。鼓角梅花添一部，五更歡笑拜新年。

Dr. Patrick Lau was born in Hong Kong and immigrated to the U.S. after high school. He retired from the VA Northern Indiana Heath Care System where he served as Chief Radiologist and moved to Florida with his wife in 2011. He was an active member & contributor of IACA and ICMA while in Indiana. Dr. Lau is also a scholar of art and literature and a prolific writer, he has been a dedicated columnist for Indy Asian American Times since 2010. Today, January 31, 2014 is the Chinese New Year

(the year of the Horse 甲午馬年) which is the most significant traditional holiday. It is generally believed that the festival originated during the Shang Dynasty 商朝. It probably initiated as an end-of-harvest celebration in which people offered prayers and sacrifices, expressing their gratitude towards gods for the bountiful harvest as well as for another good crop in the coming year.

From mythical perspective, the origin of Chinese New Year involved an extremely fierce man-eating predator beast, called Nian 年 (which stands for year in Chinese) in ancient time. Nian came out the night before each New Year began, ravenously devouring humans and livestock. People were exceedingly frightened and devastated. Fortunately, an immortal god came to their rescue, taming the ferocious Nian. He rode away with Nian; and before he parted, he advised the people to put red ornaments on the windows and doors, light torches in front of the houses and create thunderous noises to keep Nian away. They followed his instructions; and Nian had not returned to the village. They implemented the same tactics year after year; these eventually evolved as the customs of the New Year, such as setting off deafening firecrackers, hanging red lanterns and scrolls at the front doors, putting red paper cutouts on the windows and so forth.

Traditionally a few days prior to New Year’s Day, people meticulously clean their houses and sweep the grounds 掃塵; in the belief of sweeping away the family’s ill fortune. People hang or paste red scrolls called chunlian 春聯, vertically to the right and left sides of the front door, displaying literary verses articulating lucky, happy, and blessing messages; an example of the chunlian: 天増歳月人増壽, 春満乾坤福満門. Pasting a red poster with the Chinese character auspiciousness or good luck, 福 on the doors, windows and walls is a popular custom. Quite often the character 福 is put upside down. In the Chinese language, upside down is 倒, which sounds phonetically similar to 到, meaning arrive. The upside down 福 symbolizes the arrival of luck.

It has been a long observed tradition for a family to gather for a celebratory reunion dinner 年夜飯, 團年飯 on New Year’s Eve. The celebration emphasizes the ritual of a religious ceremony to honor the household gods as well as the ancestors, departed family and relatives. Equally significant, it serves to symbolize the unity of living family members. Most Chinese believe in auspicious foods which are customarily served on the table; however, they vary from province to province. Dumplings signify wealth because they are shaped like ancient silver and gold ingots 元寶. Whole fish 魚, yu symbolizes abundance, surplus (年年有魚/餘) and good fortune. Whole chicken (including head, tail and feet) denotes prosperity, completeness and family unity. Prawns

represent liveliness and happiness; while long noodles for longevity. Oranges, kumquats and tangerines are symbols of wealth and good luck. Nian gao, New Year’s cake 年糕 and yuan xiao (tangyuan) are often consumed around New Year time.

After the reunion feast, the whole family stays up for the night, playing mahjong, cards or other games; while others are watching television programs designed for the occasion, such as the China Network Television New Year’s Gala 春節聯歡晚會. At midnight, spectacular fireworks will light up the darkness of the sky, while millions and millions of people cheer on. Staying up throughout the night on New Year’s Eve is called shousui 守歲, regarded as an act of filial piety; children practice shousui would bring their parents longevity. Furthermore, it is a way of bidding farewell to the old year. 除夕更闌人不睡，厭禳鈍滯迫新歲。 Setting off firecrackers is an integral part of New Year celebrations. 爆竹聲中一歲除，春風送暖入屠蘇，千門萬戶曈曈日，總把新桃換舊符。 People believe that the exploding noise of the firecrackers will dispel all evil spirits and misfortunes; they also serve to enhance the festivity spirit. Nowadays, fire crackers are banned in many cities for safety reasons. Another tradition is the dragon and lion dance, which is thought to welcome good fortune, success, and prosperity of the New Year.

Bai nian 拜年 literally means visiting family, relatives and friends during the New Year Season. Giving of red packets, called ‘hong bao 紅包 is an important New Year tradition. These are red envelopes containing ‘lucky’ money. Red packets are given to the younger generation, particularly children and teenagers from the older generation including parents, grandparents, relatives and friends. This ritual symbolizes luck, wealth and blessings for all involved. The Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Festival 元宵節celebrated on the fifteenth day marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year season.

The significance of the New Year celebration is to leave the past behind us, while looking ahead to a brand new and better life in the coming year, which provides us a new hope and opportunity to fulfill our dreams that we have been pursuing. William Arthur Ward wrote, “This bright new year is given me, to live each day with zest; to daily grow and try to be my highest and my best!”

Wishing all of you a Prosperous, Happy and Healthy New Year of the Horse!

馬年大吉 馬到成功 龍馬精神 闔家歡樂萬事如意 金玉滿堂 四季平安 福壽雙全

The Nationalities Council of Indiana Winter Gala was held last Saturday at the Indianapolis Latvian Community Center with fun, food, and ethnic performances. Nationalities Council of Indiana (NCI) is a non-profit organization and has been in Indiana for 38th years. NCI members include about fifty ethnic groups, organizations such as Marion County Library Association, as well as individual members. NCI is the driving force and organizer behind the annual Indianapolis International Festival.

Purdue University Chinese New Year Gala

The Purdue University Chinese Students & Scholars Association (PUCSSA) welcomed nearly 1100 guests to its “Chinese New Year Gala” performance at the Leob Playhouse on January 26, 2014. This was the 23rd annual Lunar New Year celebration organized by PUCSSA. The event has become one of the most anticipated Chinese cultural events every year in the Greater Lafayette area. This year a total of 132 performers took part in the show, including Purdue students, local residents, and even a troupe of professional performers flown in from Beijing. The gala featured a children’s wushu performance, a magic show, Chinese folk songs, hip-hop dancing, and many other skits. The gala began with a moment of silence in

honor of Andrew Boldt, the victim of last week’s tragic on-campus shooting, followed by a message from Purdue University president Mitch Daniels. Chenkai Wang, a junior student in the College of Education, expressed his thanks for the large turnout. “A major reason we hold the event is to promote Chinese culture and to introduce our culture to a wider audience. This year there were about 100 people putting a lot of time and effort into making the gala a big success and I want to thank them, “ Wang said. When talking about the

large number of Chinese students at Purdue, he added, “They can’t go back home to celebrate Chinese New Year with their families. I hope that the show can help them have a good holiday abroad”. Judging from the laughter and applause throughout the three-hour event, the show was a hit with the audience. Many of the singers were called back onstage for encores after their initial performances. Friday, January 31 marks the first day of the Year of the Horse. We wish you a very happy 2014 Year of the Horse!

Article by: Joanna Zhou

Nationalities Council of IndianaWinter Gala Celebrates Diversity

Hundreds enjoy Chinese New Year Performance by Zhe-Jiang Performance Arts Trouple

NCI’s missions are the following:• To provide a structure for organizing and promoting cultural and ethnic activities of a non-political and non-religious nature.• To promote and increase communication and cultural exchange across ethnic and racial lines among people of all nationalities, races, and cultures.• To support the cultural and ethnic activities of our member groups and other cultural and ethnic organizations Photos by: Linna Wong

NCI President Marlon Alfonso (back row) Front row: IAAT columnist Mel & wife Jane Berman IAAT Edition Agnes Yam & husband Dave Wolverton

NCI members - Japanese Dancers

To celebrate the 2014 Chinese new year, Indianapolis Chinese Community Center (ICCCI) organized a performance by Zhe-Jiang Performance Arts Trouple. The hundreds in attendence enjoyed the performance. The programs include dances, acrobats, magic show, Beijing Opera, and the famous masking changing. Even if the Mask Changing performance is not rare outside of China any more, the experience of the special flavour of Mask Changing, the “Touch and Change”, is new even for those who claim to be familiar with the performance.

Celebrate Indiana’s African-American Experience at Sankofa

by Christine Johnson, Indiana State Museum and historic sites editor

In the Akan language, native to Ghana in West Africa, the word Sankofa embodies the sentiment that “we must to back to reclaim our past so we can move forward.” The Indiana State Museum’s festival honoring African heritage, which takes its name and inspiration from the word Sankofa, will be held in the museum’s Frank O’Bannon Great Hall on February 8. This festival focuses on both West-African and Hoosier African-American art, history and culture. Scheduled to coincide with Black History Month, Sankofa offers Hoosiers a chance to explore the African-American experience, both past and present. From traditional Ghanaian crafts to interactive musical experiences, learning and entertainment go hand-in-hand during this one-day event.Katy Creagh, School Programs Developer at the Indiana State Museum, says “Sankofa is the perfect showcase of live music, dance, African-drumming and art making to help Hoosiers celebrate Black History Month. Visitors will be able to experience West African culture through sound, sight and hands on activities.” “Along with the incredible performances we have lined up for the day, we are also able to help promote

literacy through our Sankofa Community Reading Chain. This year’s book is one that I loved to read when I was younger and I’m excited that we are able to feature it,” Katy adds. Sankofa features Singsation, a choirfest directed by national gospel recording artist Napoleon Williams. Visitors can also enjoy live African drumming, dance, storytelling and special area devoted to Adinkra, one of the textile arts of Ghana. Those who have attended Sankofa in the past can look forward to some new additions to the festival, including the Sankofa Community Reading Chain, which will feature community leaders reading passages from Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe. Sankofa will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Frank O’Bannon Great Hall on level 1 of the Indiana State Museum. Admission to the festival is free, but if you’d like to explore the other areas of the museum, regular admission fees will apply. For questions or more information, call 317.232.1637 or visit indianamuseum.org.

Columbus Chinese Association Welcomes the New Year

Although the wind chill was sub-zero, more than 600 Chinese Americans in Columbus, IN attended the New Year welcome party held last Saturday, January 25th. A huge delicious buffet fed over 500 party goers and 600 plus people enjoyed the music, dance, costumes and dresses of China ancient dynasties, skids and performances put on by the local groups.

Columbus Chinese Association greeting guests

Vivacious dancers A very crowded dinning room

Special guests include Ms. Wang Shuying, Deputy Consul General of the People`s Republic of China in Chicago, Jane Gehlhausen, Director of International and Cultural Affairs, Ron Carter, Carmel City Council-At-Large, and Nicholas Wahl, Superintendent of Carmel Clay Schools. While Ms. Wang focus on the warming business relation between China and Indiana, the local special guests emphasis on the rich culture diversification the Chinese Americans bring to Central Indiana.

Article by: Henry Fu, Photos by: Da Wei Chang

State Awards $10 Million For STEM Efforts

Indiana’s efforts to recruit more teachers into the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields received another major boost today with the announcement of $9.7 million in funding from the state’s new STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund. Approved by the 2013 General Assembly, the grant program encourages the recruitment and retention of teachers in STEM fields. More than 115,000 new STEM jobs are projected for Indiana by 2018, with 40 percent requiring postsecondary education leading to an associate’s degree, and 60% requiring a four-year degree.“Our employers tell us that tomorrow’s workers will need more STEM skills, and Indiana’s goal is to identify and encourage quality teachers to broaden our students’ learning experiences,” said Governor Mike Pence. “Continuing to recruit top educators and expand our students’ options will only enhance the outstanding work of our teachers, but also help our students as they make decisions about future career opportunities.” Administered by the state’s Education Roundtable, which is co-chaired by the governor and superintendent of public instruction, the funds will be distributed to ten organizations that submitted proposals by the November 1st deadline. The grant review team, consisting of staff from the Department of Education, the Commission for Higher Education, the Charter School Board, and the Center for Education & Career Innovation, reviewed and rated thirteen proposals.

“The establishment of the Indiana STEM Teacher Recruitment Fund can significantly strengthen STEM teaching and learning in Indiana,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz. “In 2012 the Indiana Department of Education began the development of a statewide STEM education plan and this award will support additional students receiving STEM learning opportunities.” The grants were announced today at the Indiana Career Council meeting, where state leaders and stakeholders discussed state strategies and challenges for preparing tomorrow’s workforce. The following proposals receiving grants:• Teach for America, $1,976,426•Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship Program, $3,716,304• Independent Colleges of Indiana, $1,529,550• University of Southern Indiana Foundation,$ 835,138• Indiana Association of Career & Technical Education Directors, $290,881• Indiana After School Network, $311,850• Conexus, $393,141•Hamilton Southeastern School Corporation Foundation, $188,100•Purdue University Research Foundation: Agricultural Science, $173,250•Project Lead the Way, $247,500

Source: Indiana Education Roundtable

Indy Asian American Times Community 社区 2014 年 01月 31日 星期五6 Friday, January 31, 2014

Indy Asian American Times Web Site: www.indyaat.org Email: editor@indyAAT.org China.journal.indiana@gmail.com P.O. Box 852, Carmel, IN 46082-0852