Chinese New Year: The Importance of Tradition and Impact of Governmental Regulation

With various developments and progress over time, the Chinese New Year has gradually developed into a globalized festival. The celebrants divided into three main groups, including Asians who live abroad in America and Europe, the older native Chinese, and the younger generation in China. Among the three major groups, the first two adhere to and follow traditions when celebrating this cultural festival. In particular, the last group contains two branches of people: those who respect traditional culture to celebrate Chinese New Year and those who use innovative methods to celebrate due to environmental pollution. This study examines academic books, journals, and videos, and also conducts interviews of older native Chinese and younger generation people in China. This study asserts that people should respect and implement the cultural traditions inherited by their ancestors, as many in these groups do. Moreover, the Chinese government has promulgated the policy with a ban on the use of firecrackers to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Inspecting relevant information and analysis of the quantitative data shows that prohibition not only reduces the profits of firecracker manufacturers but also strictly controls their exports, resulting in an extreme decline in the quantity and profit of exports. In response, manufacturers should suggest that the government can properly regulate and control exports, keeping the volume and earnings of firecracker exports relatively stable. This project weighs the importance of culture with these environmental and economic concerns. It ultimately determines that we need to maintain these traditions and viable solutions to these environmental issues