A year’s beginning
and a recipe for smashed cucumber salad to lighten a winter meal
If you missed out on a fresh start on January 1, you have a second chance.
Or a third, fourth, fifth, even sixth. Across the globe, the timing of New Year traditions vary widely, rooted in different cultures, religions, and calendars. Yet, they all share a common purpose: starting with a clean slate.
No matter the origin, these pivotal transitions symbolize new beginnings. In a world that feels smaller and more connected than ever, the festive traditions of diverse cultures unfold right beside us, enriching our collective experience.
Yet even with a front row seat to cultures and traditions so different from our own, it takes effort to understand them well. By digging deeper below the surface rituals, we can come to know that we share far more than we know, that our hopes and desires mirror those of people who live a world away or right next door.
As that vibrant tapestry of cultures came alive this weekend with the start of the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, as we Westerners commonly call it, we have just such an opportunity.
Sweeping the house clean
Like many other celebrations that follow it throughout the year, the Spring Festival is much more than gatherings around festive foods. Each day of the 15-day long celebration has its own rituals: lighting the first incense of the year; avoiding the use of knives and brooms; trading mandarin oranges and red envelopes with gifts of money.
This start to the year is meant to pave the way for prosperity, health, and good fortune, while honouring familial, cultural, and communal ties. So, if you’re feeling the sluggish effects of a mid-February slump, these Spring Festival activities may give you a fresh start too.
Renewal and fresh starts: At its core, the festival symbolizes the ushering in of a new beginning, offering a chance to start anew, leaving behind any misfortunes of the past year. The festival is preceded by thorough house cleaning: a literal and symbolic sweeping away of last year's bad luck, preparing homes for new blessings. Once the New Year arrives, brooms are stowed to keep the good luck in. Think of it as an early spring cleaning.
Honour and remembrance: The festival provides an opportunity to honour deities and ancestors, acknowledging their significance in bringing good fortune, protection, and guidance. Creating your own ritual of remembering and honouring those in your family who have come before can bring them to life for new generations of family members.
Family unity and reconciliation: One of the most important aspects of this special time is the bringing together of families, often reuniting members who live far apart. These gatherings, especially the New Year's Eve dinner, strengthen family bonds and promote reconciliation. Take time in the days ahead to be with family and loved ones, and not wait for the next obligatory gathering.
Cultural preservation and transmission: Through the observance of traditions, the festival acts as a vehicle for passing on cultural heritage and values from one generation to the next, ensuring their continuity and relevance. What traditions or rituals can you create that symbolize something unique about your family heritage?
Community and social harmony: The festival fosters a sense of community and social harmony, as people engage in communal activities, share meals, and exchange gifts, reinforcing societal bonds and mutual respect. And wouldn’t we do well to try and foster this year round?
If you’d rather sit this one out, Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is just around the corner, and with its own traditions of delicious foods, rituals, and traditions. The beauty of life is that there isn’t ever one time or opportunity to start again.
Smashed cucumber salad
From The Woks of Life
serves 4
The Spring Festival table is full of wonderful dishes, some elaborate, almost all symbolic. While you’re deciding what new dish to try (check out these eight dishes here), you can start with this fresh staple of the Asian food table. Light, easy and fast, smashed cucumber salad is something to put into rotation year round.
Ingredients
2 seedless cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
2½ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons chili oil, optional
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
a small handful of chopped cilantro or parsley
Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside.
On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro.