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Danielle CP#2

On January 30th, I met with Ran at CIES study rooms for our second Conversation Partner meeting. We talked about the Chinese New Year and the similarities and differences between the New Year’s celebration the U.S. takes part in, and the New Year’s celebration China takes part in. She explained to me that the Chinese New Year is a very big deal, similar to the way we treat Christmas in the U.S. The students have a two week break and some employeers let their workers have vacation time. All the families get together and stay with each other during this time and cook traditional Chinese meals. Dumplings are one of the main foods families cook for the Chinese New Year and are Ran’s favorite:) She explained to me the symbolism behind the mythology of the Chinese tradition and what each year means. It was so interesting learning about their customs through her eyes.

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