Hong Kong
CNN
—
Last week, K-pop singer Danielle Marsh asked online fans what they would do for Chinese New Year.a big apology It continued two days later.
her crime? “Chinese” precedes “New Year”.
The long-standing debate over whether to use “Chinese New Year” or “Lunar New Year” has reignited in recent weeks as people around the world celebrate holidays, with brands and celebrities choosing between the two. I’ve been accused of using the phrase.
Proponents of “Lunar New Year” point out that the holiday is celebrated in different countries, each with its own rituals, food, history and nuances. Incorrect reference to “Lunar New Year”.
Marsh pointed this out in her apology, saying her original wording was “inappropriate” given the holiday’s regional diversity.
Many organizations, including the Associated Press Stylebook used by many newsrooms, recommend using Lunar New Year instead of Chinese New Year.
However, the use of “Chinese New Year” has proven equally controversial for Chinese critics, many of whom believe the holiday has its roots in the Chinese lunar-solar calendar and that China claims to have had a historical impact on
As a result, many brands and celebrities are caught in a dilemma, trying to get through the holidays without blame from either side, often unsuccessfully.
In one notable example, the British Museum shared details of a show by a Korean traditional music group. “Let’s celebrate the Korean New Year with a magical performance,” he wrote on Twitter on Jan. 12.
Angry tweets followed. “It’s called Chinese New Year,” one Twitter user replied.
The British Museum has since deleted the tweet. January 22, the first day of the consecutive holidays, new post An image of a Chinese painting. “Happy New Year!” it wrote, before repeating the greeting in Chinese.
In pictures: Chinese New Year celebrations
Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the lunar-solar calendar, and festivals often last 15 or more days. Like Thanksgiving in America, this day of family gathering is one of his most important holidays of the year for many attendees.
It is celebrated throughout Asia, including the Korean Peninsula, where the holiday is called Seollal. In Vietnam it is called Tết. It is also known as Spring Festival in China. Also in other countries including Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.
And while many of these regional celebrations have their roots in the Chinese New Year, for example, Tết became widespread During the period of Chinese rule, Vietnam has since evolved to reflect the cultures, beliefs and cuisines of each country.
This diversity is largely what prompted the “Lunar New Year” proponents to move away from the “Lunar New Year”.The debate is nothing new, but celebrities have been accused of saying either for years – This year it seems to be getting a lot of attention.
Maggie Ying Zhang, an associate professor at the University of Western Australia who studies cross-cultural communication and consumer nationalism, said the British Museum’s tweet was the catalyst. It was reposted on Chinese social media, sparked heated debates with related hashtags, and has been viewed hundreds of millions of times.
“This reflects two issues: the cultural identity conflicts between Asian countries, especially between China and South Korea in this case, and the current geopolitical environment,” she said.
In addition to the impetus to increase inclusivity, the adoption of the “Chinese New Year” shows the “continuous efforts” of China’s neighbors to establish and promote their own cultural identities, she said. added.
These tensions can be seen in other recent cultural conflicts, she said. For example, China and South Korea Items that both countries insist on, such as kimchi, an iconic fermented vegetable dish, and traditional hanbok.
Recent years have seen political disagreements, economic retaliation, and even back-and-forth travel restrictions during the pandemic, so it’s no coincidence that these controversies have come at a time when relations between the two countries are fraying.
But campaigns for a more inclusive name have not been universally welcomed. In China, holidays remain firmly ‘Chinese’. Even when referring to festivals in other countries.
For example, the state news agency Xinhua welcomed the “Chinese New Year” celebrations in China. Myanmar, Malaysia and Japanemphasized the use of “Chinese red” in decoration.
The same sentiment seems to be widely shared on China’s heavily censored social media, with some posts vehemently opposing the alternative phrasing.
“You can see that the Korean-led ‘Lunar New Year’ is an ideological attack on Chinese culture by the West,” read a popular post on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
Another post mocked that, with the same logic, Christmas should be renamed to reflect the countries that celebrate Christmas, such as “Christmas in America” or “Christmas in Germany.”
“But this is the Chinese New Year, and I really don’t understand why Koreans are so sensitive,” one said. Weibo user said. “Do they really think that Spring Festival belongs to Korea?”
Professor Zhang pointed to the rise of nationalism as a potential factor causing these strong reactions.
In recent years, nationalism has risen under the rule of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Weibo. Many public intellectuals, academics, lawyers and feminist activists have been severely attacked or silenced for comments deemed “unpatriotic”.
This trend accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jiang said. She added that China’s “century of humiliation,” when the Qing Empire and later the Republic of China were overthrown by foreign powers, “founded Chinese nationalism and is deeply rooted in society.”
However, this has made it much more difficult for brands, foreign politicians and celebrities to navigate their cultural sensitivities in China and abroad. Dior faced protests outside its Paris store after it claimed the skirt plagiarized centuries-old traditional clothing.
With the margin for error shrinking, some are doing their best to appease all sides.
“On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I wish everyone celebrating the Korean New Year a very happy and healthy Year of the Rabbit,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. issued a statement.
Then, in another statement, he wished the Vietnamese community well for Tet Nguyen Dang.
A third statement followed. “Happy New Year,” he wrote, then repeated the Chinese greeting “Happy New Year” in romanized Mandarin and Cantonese.
