The Daoists group of San Quentin celebrated its first annual Spring Festival. “Gong Xi Fa Chai,” which means, “congratulations and make a fortune,” could be heard across the room.
“To my knowledge, this is the first celebration of this kind at San Quentin,” said participant Chung Kao. He noted this is the Year of the Horse, which symbolizes success in the Chinese horoscope. “It looks like we already have a successful beginning,” Kao said.
Ten prisoners and six volunteers gathered Jan. 31 in the old laundry room to celebrate the first day of the 15-day Spring Festival. It is commonly known as the New Year because it is the first lunar day of the first month in the Chinese calendar. It plays a significant part in Chinese culture and Daoism.
According to the Chinese Fortune calendar website, New Year customs originated from a ferocious and carnivorous beast that long ago lived in the mountains. It had a lion-type head with an elephant-type body. The villagers called the beast Nian.
One cold winter night, Nian roamed into a village in search of food. Seeing humans, it decided to eat one. They tried to kill Nian, but it was too strong. For their protection, the villagers stayed in their homes at night.
Years later, people found out that Nian was afraid of red, fire and noise. They hung red-colored peach wood on their doors and built campfires. When Nian approached, people would throw bamboo into the fire. The cracking sound frightened Nian away. The following day, the survivors would celebrate and congratulate each other. Nian was defeated years later on New Year’s Eve, and the custom continued.
According to an International Culture News report, “The Chinese New Year causes the biggest human migration of the new year.”
During the reunion, homage is paid to the Jade Emperor and offerings of flowers and fruit are made. It is believed that this helps bring safety and luck for the coming year. Calligraphers use characters to write New Year’s poems on red paper and paste them on the top and side of the doors. Some common characters are spring, luck and money.
“The event was a success. I think the Chinese New Year is as relevant as the Roman New Year,” said Paul Stauffer, who has been participating in the Daoist program for a year. “The program has helped me. It aligns your mind and whole body — physically and spiritually.”
