On December 22nd, the 78th United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution designating the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, as a UN floating holiday. This decision signifies the increased global significance of the Spring Festival and serves as a recognition and promotion of the unique cultural value of Chinese culture.

Grand celebrations: Chinese Spring Festival Around the World

During the annual Spring Festival, Chinese elements can be seen in various parts of the world. In Budapest, Hungary, the dragon lantern festival, part of the "Happy Chinese New Year" program celebrating the Year of the Dragon, opened on the 16th of this month and will continue until February 24th next year. In Vancouver, Canada, the annual Lunar New Year parade has been held for 48 years. On the Jungfrau in Switzerland, known as the "Roof of Europe", an ice sculpture of a rabbit conveys blessings for the 2023 Chinese Spring Festival, extending a warm invitation to Chinese tourists. In the city of Recife, Brazil, ancient buildings adorn themselves with Chinese style. From Madrid, Spain, to Milan, Italy, and all the way to Bogota, Colombia, lion dancers showcase their skills to celebrate this exciting festival.

Tracing back: Guangdong's influence on overseas celebrations for Spring Festival

Over 150 years ago, many Chinese pioneers began working in the gold mines and railway projects in San Francisco, USA. Among them, the Cantonese workers played a significant role as the first generation seeking a living in the United States. Historical records indicate that on February 21st, 1851, the first official Chinese New Year Parade was held in San Francisco. Although the parade was relatively simple at the time following the route of today's Grant Avenue and Kearny Street, it marked the pioneering overseas celebration of the Chinese Spring Festival.

Development: Chinese Spring Festival goes viral globally

According to statistics, the customs and traditions of the Spring Festival have spread to nearly 200 countries and regions worldwide. With some countries and regions recognizing it as a statutory holiday, approximately one-fifth of the global population celebrates Spring Festival in various forms, making it truly a worldwide festival symbol.

The famous Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco, which initially began as a small-scale celebration among a few Chinese immigrants, has evolved into a grand event showcasing Chinese traditional culture through close cooperation between multicultural and Sino-American communities. It is now recognized as one of the top ten famous parades in the world. Landmarks such as the Empire State Building in the United States, the London Eye in the United Kingdom, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia are illuminated in "Chinese red" every year to celebrate the arrival of the Spring Festival.

Innovation: evolving ways of celebrating Spring Festival among overseas Chinese communities

From pasting Spring Festival couplets, hanging lanterns, lion and dragon dances, and setting off firecrackers, to blessing and praying sacrifice, overseas Chinese have faithfully preserved the traditions of Spring Festival.

However, alongside the preservation, there have also been innovations and cultural exchanges with different civilizations. For example, in Chinatowns of major cities in the United States, there are various forms of celebrations, including Chinese New Year parades. In some European countries, Chinese New Year concerts are held to celebrate the occasion. In Southeast Asian countries, Chinese families create a blend of local flavors in their "nian bing" (Chinese New Year cakes) to create a new delight for the festival.

Regardless of the changing forms of celebration, the Spring Festival customs passed down for thousands of years remain the most profound emotional bond within the Chinese culture.

Source:Yangcheng Evening News

春节成为联合国假日！春节文化何以走红海外？

12月22日，第78届联合国大会协商一致通过决议，将春节（农历新年）确定为联合国假日。这一决定标志着春节在世界上拥有更加重要的地位，也是对中华文化独特价值的认可和弘扬。

盛况：世界多地欢庆春节

一年一度的新春佳节，全球多地都能看到满满的中国元素。在匈牙利布达佩斯，“欢乐春节”中国龙年彩灯节早已在本月16日开幕，将持续庆祝至明年2月24日；在加拿大温哥华，春节大巡游已举办48届；在瑞士少女峰，“欧洲屋脊”用冰雕兔送上2023春节祝福，向中国游客发出热情邀请；在巴西城市累西腓，古老建筑披上中国风盛装；从西班牙马德里，到意大利米兰，再到哥伦比亚波哥大……外国“舞龙高手”各显神通，犹如隔空斗“舞”。　　

溯源：海外春节的广东印记

150多年前，许多华裔先贤开始在美国旧金山市的金矿和铁路工作，其中，作为第一代前往美国谋生的广东人，粤籍华工是这些工程的重要参与者。史料记载中，1851年2月21日，美国旧金山市首次正式举行新春巡游。当时的巡游比较简单，只是沿着现在的都板街和干尼街前进，不过却是海外首创的中国农历新年巡游。

发展：春节成为世界“文化爆款”

据不完全统计，春节民俗活动已走进全球近200个国家和地区。加之一些国家和地区将其列入法定节假日，全球约五分之一的人口以不同形式庆祝春节，中国春节已然成为世界性节日符号。

非常著名的旧金山农历新年大巡游，就是从早期少数在美华人小打小闹的庆祝活动，演变成多族裔、中美团体亲密合作展示中国传统文化的盛会，成为世界十大著名大巡游之一。美国纽约帝国大厦、英国伦敦眼、澳大利亚悉尼歌剧院等多国地标建筑，每年也会为春节点亮“中国红”。

创新：海外华人过节方式的变迁

贴春联、挂灯笼、舞龙舞狮、燃放鞭炮、祈福求神……海外华人完整保留了中国的春节传统，

传承之外，也有创新，更有不同文化和文明的交融互鉴。

比如在美国一些大城市的中国城，会有中国农历新年巡游等不同形式的庆祝活动；在一些欧洲国家则会以中国新年音乐会等形式庆祝；在东南亚一些国家的华人家庭，还会制作融合南洋风味的“年饼”营造新的“年味”……

无论过年形式如何变化，沿袭了几千年的春节习俗始终是中国文化中最深刻的情感维系。

（资料参考：中新社 人民日报海外版 中国侨网 新华社 浙江侨联 浙江宣传 封面新闻-华西都市报 央视新闻 国际在线 中国网）

话题主持 | 记者 樊美玲
翻译 | 陈萱