By Wenxuan Feng, Hongwei Jing
Today is the Chinese New Year’s Eve. This is the first time that we are away from home during the Spring Festival. Although the university is still having classes and there is no festive atmosphere in this small town, but we gathered together, organized the party, preparing for our lunch. It is even busier than that we were home.
We started to decorate the room in the early morning with bows, ribbons and small lanterns which are taken from home by Professor Sun. In order to keep pace with Beijing time, we chose to have party at noon.
We came from the different places of China. To take care of everyone’s tastes, the lunch menu included dumplings and hot pot. We and our teachers all participated in it. When everything was ready, our group began to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Scotland. A computer set up on the stool acted as the TV role of the CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala during our lunch. It was drizzling outside the window. Inside the room, dumplings were boiling on the stove. The steam made the kitchen window foggy. Toasting and drinking, it seemed like we were still in China.
It is worth mentioning that today is also the eve of the Scottish traditional festival “Burns Night”. Similar to the Dragon Boat Festival set up in memory of the great poet Qu Yuan in China, Burns Night was held in memory of the great poet Robert Burns of Scotland.
In the age of Burns’ life, Scotland was occupied by England, and English was the daily language of Scots. At that time, Burns, against the neoclassical style of British poetry at that time, drew nutrition from local life and folk literature and wrote in Scottish. His poems, with vernacular and beautiful language, extol Scotland’s magnificent views, simple folk customs and profound history, and became the banner of national cultural renaissance. The popular Scottish folk song ” Auld Lang Syne ” is his work. That is why every year, on the birthday of Burns, the Scottish people gather together to taste the Scottish traditional food “Haggis” and dance passionate Ceilidh Dances in memory of the great patriotic poet.