Tuesday | 14 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Tuesday | 14 January 2025 | Epaper

Chun Jie (??) - The mythology behind the Chinese new year

Published : Saturday, 24 February, 2018 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1456
Tafhim Radita Ali
The ground beneath you rumbles. He great and terrible Nian approaches. Nothing is special, you know, but this is nonetheless terrifying. Every first moon of the first month of the Lunar Calendar the monster Nian descends from the mountains, craving the taste of human flesh, especially the flesh of the young ones.
The ground stops shaking. You peek out the window in a sudden moment of bravado, ignoring your family's whispered warnings behind you. You watch as a man in a red cloak approaches the great monster, not a hint of fear in his wise eyes. He kneels down and, in one, swift motion, sets of firecrackers. The loud noises penetrate the silence
Once more, the rumbling starts, this time more desperate and hard, throwing you off your feet. As you struggle to get up, the crashing footsteps grow distant, eventually fading into nothing but a dull thud.
Finally finding your footing, you once more peer out, watching your fellow bewildered villages pile out of their houses. Without a second thought, you follow, dragging your family out with you.
"Who are you?" asks someone with no tact what-so-ever.
"You must be a legendary warrior!" exclaims someone else.
This causes the village to explode into chatter, each person guessing and declaring something different. When the last claim ("Is he a god?" - which was one of the less ludicrous ones) had been claimed, the old man gestured for silence.
"I am neither a god, nor a warrior; I am simply an old man who has travelled far and wide. I have come to this village when I heard the rumour that a monster was making you all hide,"
For an old man, he spoke with a cheerful and booming voice, making him seem younger. Not to mention, he spoke in rhymes, amusing you and the villagers greatly.
"How did you chase the monster away?" asked someone.
"The colour red, Nian fears, as well as noises loud. Keep that in your head for the next time he appears and you'll be safe and sound,"
You all nod eagerly. The next year you paint your house red with the help of your family, as does everyone else. You put up firecrackers and you wait. You will not be prey any longer. Now it was time for you and the villagers and all of China to triumph over the terrible Nian that had been terrorising you for years. No longer will you be afraid.
What you do not know is that for generations after, the story of Nian will not fade away. It will continue to live on in the hearts of the Chinese, giving birth to the most spectacular festival hosted throughout China.

The writer is a Grade-08 student,
Kunming International Academy
Kunming, China


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