Happy Chinese New Year! Celebrate the Chinese culture through language with us!

新年快乐 Happy Chinese New Year! While our physical activities may be limited by the restrictions, we can still celebrate the Chinese culture through language, which Academia holds in profound regard. A simple phrase has the ability to convey history, culture and tradition. The Chinese language is populated with a myriad of idioms and aphorisms, each attached to its own unique historical or cultural significance. This Chinese New Year, we want to bring attention to: 家和万事兴. (“jia1 he2 wan4 shi4 xing1”) Although our expertise runs more towards English language and linguistics, we wanted to share our appreciation for and take on this particular phrase we found poignant for this year. ‘家和万事兴’ translates to mean that with a harmonious family, everything else will prosper. This notion is captured beautifully not just in the poetic nature of the saying, but also in its structure. The idea of a harmonious family (“家和”) is placed immediately before the idea of abundance and prosperity (“万事兴”), literally establishing the prioritisation of a family’s harmony before the more material aspects of life. It also suggests that prosperity does not need to always be measured in material terms: it can be found in the connections we share with our loved one. It comes as no surprise then that a long-standing tradition of the Lunar New Year is the reunion dinner, where families get together over a sumptuous meal. The raucous occasion presents a wonderful way to express dedicated appreciation, love and filial piety to our loved ones, a joy we may often neglect in the midst of our busy and mundane schedules. While gatherings may be limited this season, the fullness of your heart is not. From all of us at Academia to you: a very Happy Chinese New Year, with an abundance of health, prosperity, joy, love — and above all, a harmonious family ❣️