"In Shandong, celebrating Chinese New Year feels warm and full of familial love—it feels like home," says Anna, a Russian woman who married Simon (a pseudonym), a native of Zibo, Shandong. Having embraced her role as a "Shandong daughter-in-law," Anna has fully immersed herself in the traditions of the Chinese New Year—making Laba garlic, shopping for festive goods at local markets, making dumplings, enjoying family reunion dinners, and visiting relatives.
Anna and Simon, a Chinese-Russian couple, are popular content creators under a popular video platform. Known for their contrasting personalities and humorous storytelling, they have become a representative IP for international families living a Chinese lifestyle, with millions of followers across social media.
Anna first came to Shandong in 2017 as a student at Shandong University of Technology. Her first Chinese New Year was uneventful, spent with her fellow international classmates. It wasn't until 2020, when she celebrated the festival as Simon's fiancée, that she truly experienced the essence of Chinese New Year. Since then, Anna and Simon's family has grown, with the addition of their son, Malian. This year marks the second time Anna has celebrated Chinese New Year with Simon's extended family, enjoying a heartwarming experience of four generations under one roof.
Preparing for the New Year: Laba Garlic and New Hairstyles
"Chinese New Year feels so lively and busy," Anna told a journalist in fluent Shandong dialect, describing her first impression of the festival. As soon as the twelfth lunar month begins, Simon's family starts preparing for the big day, bustling until New Year's Eve. Shopping for festive goods, buying new clothes, and even getting new hairstyles are all part of the preparations.
Anna joined in the festivities, buying red sweaters for the family to symbolize luck and prosperity. Simon dyed his hair red in the spirit of "good fortune arriving," while Anna treated herself to a new haircut.
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the traditional Laba Festival, Anna enjoyed a bowl of Laba porridge and pickled a large jar of Laba garlic alongside her mother-in-law. Having grown up making pickled vegetables in Russia, Anna found the taste of Laba garlic unique and enjoyable.
Making Dumplings and Fried Foods
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, known as "Little New Year" in northern China, is a day when families traditionally worship the Kitchen God and eat dumplings. Anna, a skilled cook, has become adept at making dumplings. However, she still struggles with rolling the dough. She fondly recalled her first attempt at making dumplings at Simon's home when she clumsily pinched the wrappers together. Now, she's a pro and particularly loves celery-pork and fennel-pork dumplings.
"Shandong people eat dumplings all the time—on Little New Year, New Year's Eve, the first day of the New Year, and even the fifth day of the New Year," Anna laughed, admitting she never tires of them.
Another Shandong tradition that Anna has embraced is frying festive foods. "Guo you, guo you, the more you fry, the more you'll have," Simon explained. This tradition involves frying foods like lotus root fritters, fish, meatballs, tofu, and mushrooms. Simon's uncle takes charge of the frying, with Simon assisting, while Anna happily tastes the freshly fried treats. Her favorites are fried pork and mushrooms, which she describes as "bursting with flavor right out of the pot."
New Year's Eve: Four Generations Under One Roof
On New Year's Eve, Simon writes Spring Festival couplets, and Anna helps stick them on the doors, taking photos with the couplets as a memento. Hanging lanterns, pasting decorations, and honoring ancestors mark the start of the celebrations. But Anna's favorite part of the day is the family reunion dinner.
This year, Simon's and his uncle's families gathered at his grandmother's house to stay up late and welcome the New Year. With Simon's 88-year-old grandmother, their 2-year-old son Malian, and other family members, the four generations shared laughter and warmth.
As a hub of Shandong cuisine, Zibo's New Year's Eve dinner featured an array of traditional dishes, including chicken, duck, fish, and pork. Simon explained the symbolic meanings behind each dish to Anna, such as the fish, which represents "abundance year after year."
Visiting Relatives and Navigating Family Ties
On the morning of the first day of the New Year, Anna woke up to find a red envelope under her pillow, gifted by her mother-in-law for her son, Malian. Watching Simon kneel to his grandmother to wish her a happy New Year, Anna was deeply moved by the respect Chinese people show toward their elders and the sense of ritual during the festival.
The days that followed were filled with visiting relatives and friends. Anna introduced Chinese New Year traditions to her friends and family in Russia, sharing her experiences of family reunions and festive customs. However, she admitted that navigating Shandong's complex web of family relationships was a challenge. While she could identify close relatives like "aunt" and "cousin," she struggled with more distant relations like "great-uncle" or "grand-uncle-in-law."
Like many young couples, Anna and Simon weren't spared from the traditional Chinese New Year topic of "having another child." With Malian growing older, relatives encouraged the couple to give him a sibling, jokingly saying, "Don't waste such great genes—have a second one soon!"
Inviting Foreign Friends to Experience Chinese New Year
Anna noted that New Year celebrations in Russia are similar to Chinese New Year, such as fireworks, family dinners, and visiting friends. However, she found Shandong's family-style reunion dinners particularly touching. "No matter where they are, everyone comes home to have a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve," she said.
"Chinese New Year feels like home," Anna reflected. Before moving to China, she didn't know about the festival or its many customs. Now, she sees it as an opportunity for cultural exchange, allowing foreigners to understand the richness of Chinese traditions.
Anna suggested that foreign friends should experience Chinese New Year in a local setting. "You need to celebrate with a Chinese family to truly feel the festival's charm," she said. Joining in activities like shopping for New Year goods, pasting Spring Festival couplets, making dumplings, and enjoying reunion dinners offers an authentic glimpse into this unique and vibrant holiday.
Related News:
Watch This | Ancient mural sparks debate: Did Chinese zodiac once include cat?
China's highways to see record-high EV charging volume during Spring Festival holiday
Watch This | Amazing China: Experience the rituals of Spring Festival
Comment