Today's Google Doodle for Lunar New Year 2021
On Wednesday Emmanuel College in Toronto, a United Church seminary, held an ecumenical service to anticipate the Lunar New Year. Today is the first full day of what has often been called the Chinese New Year. hence the Google Doodle.
I have never paid much attention to this celebration. There are, though, other Asian cultures which observe this festival, as does the diaspora of these cultures around the world. It's probably a quarter of Earth's population which is trying to figure out how to observe this day, including a communal meal, in the midst of a pandemic.
Snooping around, the celebration seems rather complicated to my Western brain, but that doesn't mean much other than I'm ignorant! I'm curious about the lunar connection because other religions including Judaism and Christianity have an important lunar component -- think Passover and Easter, both related to a Spring full moon.
I got thinking, as well, about the relationship to the animals of each year, and the notion of being connected to these creatures. To be honest, I'm not interested in signs of the zodiac or horoscopes, yet the relationship with other beings, actual and mythical invites us out of an anthropocentric focus.
I'm not sure how I'll sort through all this as a Christian, but I have learned over time that its important to be open and respectful of other traditions. I would be intrigued to see how the ecumenical service unfolded. Happy Year of the Ox!
No comments:
Post a Comment