Gung hay fat choy! Happy dog year! Spring
Festival!
28th January 2006, anywhere in the Chinese diaspora --
With bird flu on the rise, there's an audible sigh of relief amongst
several billion Chinese, and nations which hold to the Lunar Calendar,
as the Year of the Rooster gives way to the Year of the Dog. The
origins of Chinese New Year celebrations are lost in antiquity, but the
story of Nian the man-eating monster, seems to be part of
it. To tell it very briefly, Nian would appear on two occasions
in the year, this lunar beginning of Spring being one of them (try
telling people in much of Europe at the moment that it is
Spring!). A villager worked out that it was more the panic
surrounding Nian's appearance that destroyed people, not so much Nian
himself, so he organised people to come together, make noise, bang
drums, let off fire crackers and have much revelry. Nian got so
scared by it all that he fled, was tracked down and killed. Amen.
In Vietnam they call this time 'Tet', but no matter
where one is, Saigon, Singapore or Sydney, the Chinese New Year is an
important occasion for celebration, and one fifth of the world's
population is celebrating it, after all. In Korea, dogs will
certainly be more circumspect on this
occasion; they would prefer 'dog's best friend' to share his table with
the dog rather than share the dog with the table!
However, while it seems an almost unconscionable switch of topic, we are brought
back to earth in all the revelry precisely by a Salesian working in
China, in Macao actually, who writes on behalf of those for whom he
works day in and day out - Hansen's disease sufferers, or leprosy as
many used know it. Fr Robert Tonetto addresses his letter to
'dear confreres in Asia', wishes everyone a happy Spring Festival then
hopes that his topic might find widespread dispersal. He attaches
a letter from Cardinal Barragan, head of the Pontifical Council for
health pastoral care. In that letter, and in a much more recent
one that I have found since, the Cardinal outlines the history of
Catholic pastoral work for Hansen's disease and its sufferers. We
cannot say much about this here but Don Bosco is very active on their
behalf in China. The point of all this is that January 29th,
Chinese New Year day is, this year, the 53rd World Leprosy Day.
The disease is on the decrease, thank God. The number of
sufferers has halved over the past six years.
"On 29 January, in particular, we invite our
communities to "remember"
during the Eucharistic Celebration of the Total Body of Christ present
in so many people and in families that still suffer because of the
disease of leprosy, with the hope and wish that the Eucharist, the
actualization and expression of the saving love and solidarity of God
for us and for all men, becomes a spring of our greater love and
solidarity towards people suffering from, and sick with, leprosy, a
spring that is able to build up a more just, a more fraternal, mankind,
a mankind at peace". Thus says the Cardinal. The English is
torturous, and his use of the 'spring' metaphor may not have been
offered in any connection with the Spring Festival, but the coincidence
is providential. Leprosy is a terrible disease. 24 nations
worldwide have to deal with it and India alone has 500,000 news cases
per annum.
The Chinese temper their animal symbol each year
with one of the basic elements like fire, water, earth, metal,
wood.... This year 2006 (or is it 4703-4) it is not just any dog,
but Fire Dog, an irresistible, adventurous, charismatic dog. This
dog only comes around every 60 years and is meant to be unusually
prosperous, an improvement in the human condition. Let's hope so!
VOCABULARY
circumspect: wary, on the lookout
unconscionable: not right, not just
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