Entry 29: Your Family Traditions

My family, like any other Chinese families, have reunions every year on New Year. There was once that we didn't go, but usually we would travel south to my father's parents, my grandparents' house in Tainan. There my father's brothers would also come with their families. (except one because he is single) It seems like we get together just for the sake of traditions. Sometimes it seems like visiting my grandparents would be better if it is on another occasion, not New Year. Then there was the old religious tradition problem. We have to pay our respect and prayers to our ancestors with incense sticks. What if you are Christian? For us, my mom, my sister and me, we could either choose to follow the custom or refuse to do it. Both have positive and negative consequences. My mom, however, since she is an adult, she has to at least pretend to do it. My sister and I can be ignored. In the evening we would have our reunion dinner at a good restaurant. Since my grandmother is vegetarian, usually the meal would contain less meat. That is a good thing. The atmosphere around the dinner table is usually awkward, but that has to deal with not traditions but family problems.