The celebration of the Spring Festival constitutes an important landmark in the lives of all Chinese people. All activities die down to welcome the New Year. The atmosphere in China Town looks queer and soulless as all the Chinese shops have their shutters pulled down to make way for the celebration. It is time for rejoicing, fun and laughter amidst the bursting of fire-crackers and sumptuous mouth-watering Chinese dishes.

As indefatigable workers throughout the year, they consider these festive days as an occasion to switch off from the routine of their hectic lives to recharge their batteries to renew their spirits to face the challenges of the new year with much vigour. This year is the year of the rooster.

Being a minority in a multi-racial and multi-lingual society, we have been submerged for years by other cultures through acculturation. Only recently have we realised, with the emergence of China as an economic dragon on the international scene, the urgent need for a sudden reawakening of Chinese Culture, long neglected and scorned by many, especially during colonial days.

Hopefully, the ageing generation will dutifully transmit our priceless millennial cultural heritage to our younger generation to fortify the cultural roots in spite of hurdles like globalisation and westernisation strewn on their path. Cultural erosion has been more devastating to this community than to any other. Many have come to realise, though belatedly, the cultural void in their souls for having not studied Mandarin (a language spoken by a quarter of mankind ? the most widely spoken in the world).

<B>Many non-Chinese learn Mandarin</B>

Even Lee Kuan Yew (the once Prime Minister of Singapore) felt humiliated in his early youth during his studies at Cambridge for not speaking Mandarin fluently and when he returned home he studied it assiduously. Surprising as it may appear, many non-Chinese today are learning this language to explore new markets for their business. Trilingualism (English, French and Mandarin) will be an invaluable and indispensable asset for Mauritians in ?our global village? especially at a time when China is reawakening from its deep slumber.

The blending of Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist values as the bulwark of the Chinese philosophy of life has paved the way to the success for the Chinese Diaspora, as evidenced by the economic cubs of South East Asian countries. From rags to riches, from ?Kaptan? to tycoons, they have asserted themselves through their hard work, ingenuity and thrift to climb the social ladder up to the pinnacle of success.

Traditionally the eve of the Chinese New Year constitutes the highlight of the celebrations. The house and its environment are kept spick and span to welcome the coming New Year. The cult of Ancestors is the core of the ceremony to show our forebears our respect and our gratitude to them and we are indebted to them for having paved the way for us to reap the fruits of their sacrifices.

<B>Prosperity and good fortune</B>

We pray for happiness, wealth and longevity. Our ancestors have irrigated the soil of the island with their sweat, tears and blood and their precious contribution to chisel modern Mauritius is never forgotten. After all the rituals, on the eve, the whole family gets together in the evening for the annual dinner. All the members of the family converge to cement their ties as a sign of solidarity.

Food, each and every dish, symbolises prosperity and good fortune. Every family tries to prepare the best of everything for this occasion, depending on their means. After the dinner, late at night, comes the most yearned for moment for the children: The distribution of Hong Bao (a small red packet containing money-gifts).

It is for the elders to show affection and love to the younger generation. The older generation keeps awake the whole night to welcome the dawning of the New Year with the family shrine illuminated while the youths and young couples spend the night in the casinos or at night-clubs. In the morning, each and every house is canopied red with exploded fire-crackers.

The New Year?s Day itself is observed as a fasting day by the older generation: only vegetarian food is served. Churches and pagodas are packed tight with devotees. Chinese are known proverbially for their pragmatism on religious issues.

The close-knit ties of family, where the respect for and care of parents is the mirror-image of love and responsibility for the upbringing and training of Chinese. They still place the interests of the family and society above those of the individual. These are profoundly Chinese traditional values.

The Chinese festivals show man in harmony with nature. Traditionally the Chinese have struggled to live in harmony with Nature, in harmony with the society of man, in harmony with the social, cultural and economic environment around him. Everywhere they have emigrated, they have adjusted themselves to the local context to survive. Let us hope that the Lantern Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival will be celebrated with much fervour and enthusiasm at national level.

Kung Shi Fat Choy to everyone.

<B>Philip Li Ching Hum</B>