“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”
-Anne Bradstreet
In Huangshan, the air is filled with the scent of sweet, delicious flowers. At home it would be jasmine, lilacs, roses, and daphnia. Here, I have no idea what the names of the plants are, but the petals are just as pink, the pollen just as pungent, and the sight and smell of them just as invigorating as their counterparts back in the States. The return of Spring has brought new life in the form of budding flower blossoms, buzzing insects, chirping flocks of birds and a renewed heat to the sun.
The long, cold, frigid winter had set into my bones like some festering infection and had severely chilled my outlook on all things Chinese. But taking deep breaths of this warm, soothing air was like sipping on an expensive Merlot; the more I ingested the more I could feel the warmth in my stomach, my legs and all the way to the very tips of my fingers. This warmth woke me up and helped me remember that though the winter was cold, springtime still fluttered back as it always does and that on its wings came many blessings. One such blessing came in the form of care packages from family and friends filled with Cadbury mini eggs and other Easter candies. Silly as it sounds, these packages were tasty reminders of the people I was blessed with having in my life. The contents in these packages also helped me explain some of the Easter traditions to my students and Chinese friends.
Wherever you are, Springtime is about new life. Back home the Easter holiday is a way for us to celebrate this new life, and I wanted to share this tradition with my students. My employer, Moon, and I decided I should host an Easter party at the school. I was responsible for all the planning, and she wanted it to be a party like students might experience in Western cultures. She said that Chinese parties at school typically entail having students stand up in front of everybody and reciting something. Yikes. Though my party certainly lacked in actual language practice, they got a much more vivid sense of what parties and holidays are like for students in the U.S. For our Easter Party, students each decorated an egg, colored in an Easter Bunny mask and then went on an egg hunt. Good times were had by all.
Though I didn’t get to spend Easter stuffing my face at a family party, I got to spend it surrounded by laughter and smiles. I got to share a part of my culture with the people closest to me, and in return I got a renewed enthusiasm for teaching these students who were so happy to be celebrating with me.
Summary: When Spring rolls around, take time to stop and smell the roses. Appreciate the moment you are in, and take pride in the fact that you made it through the winter. If you are teaching, breathe new life into your lessons by sharing a part of your culture with your students. And if you are lucky enough to have loved ones far away send you a care package filled with Easter candy, make sure to spread the love by sharing it with those who are near you.
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