On December 22, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by consensus to designate the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) as a United Nations holiday. In a resolution, the UN General Assembly affirmed the importance of UN Member States celebrating the Lunar New Year and invited UN agencies at Headquarters and other duty stations to refrain from meeting on the Lunar New Year.
On January 27, 2021, citizens shop for Chinese New Year decorations at a market in Hepingli. Source: Xinhua News Agency
With the popularity of the Spring Festival around the world, many countries and regions have designated the Spring Festival as a holiday. It is understood that nearly 20 countries have listed the Spring Festival as a legal holiday, and about one-fifth of the world's population celebrates the Spring Festival in different forms. In some countries, the Spring Festival is a statutory holiday. For example, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, etc., have already set up holidays during the Chinese New Year. Communities in some countries hold celebrations every year, and Chinese communities in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries gather together during the Spring Festival every year to hold large-scale celebrations in various forms, which strengthens the cohesion of the local community, sends good wishes for the new year, and expands the influence of the Spring Festival.
According to the resolution on the Pattern of Conferences unanimously adopted by the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Spring Festival will be officially included in the United Nations calendar of conferences and meetings as a floating holiday. At the United Nations Headquarters in New York, there are two types of holidays: official holidays and "floating holidays". On official holidays, United Nations Headquarters is closed and no one is working, except for a few security personnel who must remain on duty. "Floating leave" is an additional benefit for a specific group of people, and employees can choose a specific "floating holiday" as a compensatory time off according to their religious beliefs or cultural background.
The UN resolution was welcomed by a number of countries, including China. Ambassador Dai Bing, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, pointed out that China's promotion of the Spring Festival as a United Nations holiday is a pragmatic action to implement the Global Civilization Initiative and advocate respect for the diversity of world civilizations. The Spring Festival has officially become a United Nations holiday, which fully demonstrates the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization, will effectively promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations in the world, and actively reflect the cultural values of diversity and inclusiveness advocated by the United Nations.
As a traditional festival that originated in China, the Spring Festival is going to the world and is recognized by more and more international institutions. How do you view the United Nations listing the Spring Festival as a United Nations holiday? How will this affect the spread of Chinese culture around the world? What are the important charms of the Spring Festival?
In Hanoi, Vietnam's capital, a man hangs red lanterns on a tree to welcome the Chinese New Year. Source: Xinhua News Agency
"Wear new clothes, paste Spring Festival couplets, and buy firecrackers with New Year's money. Spring Festival is the most distinctive traditional festival in China and has become an important moment for countless Chinese to reunite with their families. The Spring Festival has a long history in China, with a history of more than 4,000 years. During the Spring Festival, every household holds a variety of folk activities. For example, every household will put Spring Festival couplets in front of their doors to express people's good wishes for good luck in the coming year. Family members and relatives will pay New Year's greetings to each other and express respect and longing for each other. For many Chinese, especially those who live or work far from their hometowns, the Spring Festival provides them with a period of rest to return to their hometowns to visit their parents or elders.
The Spring Festival, a traditional festival that originated in China, has not only become an important festival for many Chinese and local communities abroad, but also a legal holiday in many countries. In Thailand, many people celebrate Chinese New Year by cleaning, adding new clothes, and visiting Chinatown. In Vietnam, Tet has become his most important traditional festival, and many people celebrate it by arranging flowers.
The United Nations has designated the Spring Festival as a United Nations holiday, which is not only a recognition of the importance of the Spring Festival, but also a way for the international community to enhance their understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture. The Chinese New Year is not only a celebration marked by the purchase of Chinese New Year goods, red envelopes, fireworks and family reunions, but also a festival rich in cultural traditions that incorporate elements of Chinese philosophy, folklore and historical origins. By making it a United Nations holiday, the United Nations has raised the status of the Spring Festival in the international community, providing a good opportunity for people around the world who wish to celebrate the Spring Festival, while at the same time helping people to explore and appreciate the time-honored Chinese culture and philosophical ideas more deeply.
Inspired by the charm of the Spring Festival, starting with neighboring countries such as South Korea and Japan, the Spring Festival has gradually become an important part of East Asian culture, and has also become a vivid portrayal of China's practice of the Global Civilization Initiative and respect for the world's cultural diversity. With the United Nations positioning the Spring Festival as a United Nations holiday and China's global cultural influence further expanding, the Spring Festival is now becoming an important part of global culture.
A vendor places Chinese New Year ornaments at a stall in Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand. Source: Xinhua News Agency
For the United Nations, the resolution to designate Chinese New Year as a United Nations holiday reflects the cultural diversity and inclusive spirit of this global organization. Through this consensus, the United Nations has firmly demonstrated its commitment to supporting cultural diversity and is committed to promoting cultural celebrations around the world. This is a testament to the ability of the United Nations General Assembly to understand the need for such a resolution and underscores the importance of important holidays in strengthening the cohesion of world cultures and respect for cultural diversity.
In fact, before the Chinese New Year was designated as a national holiday of the United Nations, the Secretary-General of the United Nations issued a message every year to extend holiday greetings and blessings to China and all the people of all countries celebrating the Spring Festival. From Guterres to Annan, they all expressed the importance of the Spring Festival in strengthening the unity of countries at this important moment.
All along, the United Nations has been playing an important role as a worldwide international organization committed to peace and unity among nations and promoting the cause of development and human rights. The UN's decision on the Spring Festival also demonstrates the UN's mission to promote peace, respect and inclusiveness in the international community. By recognizing Chinese New Year as a United Nations holiday, the United Nations is creating an environment of mutual respect and understanding, bridging cultural gaps, and actively harnessing the soft power of culture to promote global peace. This move sends a strong message to the world about the importance of acknowledging and respecting each other's cultural uniqueness and diversity, echoing the spirit of unity in pluralism at the United Nations.
The 100-festival year is the first, and the four seasons spring is the first. The Spring Festival showcases the inclusiveness and diversity of Chinese culture, and the beautiful meaning of reunion, family affection and blessings contained in the Spring Festival is loved by people all over the world. This is perhaps the main reason why the Spring Festival is being recognized by more and more countries and international organizations.
Jiupai News reporter Mu Yang
[Source: Jiupai News]
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