Teenagers Get Away from Chinese Cultural Heritage

by Cheor Jia Yee

20-year-old tertiary student Yap Chew Yee celebrates various Chinese traditional festivals, including Lunar New Year. However, she admits that she does not really understand the real meaning behind all these customs.

Interviewee, Yap Chew Yee (20).

“Actually, I don’t know what the meaning of traditional custom is; just know all of them are for lucky,” Yap said. When reporter talked about Chinese New Year traditional custom, she looked blank. She could give some examples of the customs, but she was really unable to explain it.

“For me, I just follow to have reunion dinner and cannot sweep in the first day, while other traditional I not follow at all.” She added, her family members also do not emphasize those customs. 

Many Chinese, especially teenagers do not emphasis traditional custom nowadays. This is the effect of failure cultural inheritance. If this matter does not be faced squarely, it may lead to cultural extinction.

Yong Yoon Lee (65) believed that the reasons of teenagers ignored Chinese New Year traditional custom were they were lazy, scared of trouble as well as they did not understand the meaning of those customs. 

Due to do not understand the meaning of traditional custom, people start to ignore them or even refuse to participate in cultural inheritance. Not only teenagers, but also middle-aged and elders overcome problems on cultural inheritance. 

Teo Sew Fung (47) said, she did not follow all the Chinese New Year traditional custom as they were too much and some were outdated. “If these traditional customs do not inherit, our cultural may disappear,” she added. Therefore, she usually tries her best to pass on all her knowledge to her children. “I will give advices to them but I cannot control or force them to follow as the young has their style,” Teo said.

A shoe-shaped gold or silver ingot used as money in Chinese traditional with meaning lucky and prosperity.

Everyone must know well about their culture heritage, it is a fundamental part of its identity and its own value. If a Chinese is merely know Chinese New Year is a public holiday but never understand the meaning as well as the origin of this festival, this considered as a dangerous phenomena.

“Maybe I will try to pass on a little traditional customs to my children in the future, but I really no concept with it now,” Yap said. To overcome this problem, she suggested parents and teachers should pass this knowledge over children and encourage them read more books. “Early education is very important,” she added.



See also:
Traditional culture is more important than Angpau money
Expensive New Year Celebration
Chinese New Year Traditional Cultural
A Word A Blessing
Video: Chinese New Year Traditional Custom