Solar New Year does not bring as many rituals as Lunar New Year, but that simplification opens up a precious void for the family: the void of time together, without pressure, without formality. The question is, do we really know what to do together or each person has a phone, a separate world?
Spend quality time, not just "in the same place
Many families today still confuse between "staying at home together" and "connecting". According to Dr. William J. Doherty, a marriage and family expert at the University of Minnesota (USA), the important thing is not the duration, but the quality of interaction.
Simple activities but with the real participation of members, such as cooking together or chatting without interruption, have a positive long-term impact on family cohesion," Mr. Doherty emphasized.
During the New Year holiday, families can prepare a common meal together, clearly assigning each small task. No need for high-class delicacies, just work together, eat together, and clean up together. That process creates memories, not a meal full of dishes.
Besides, a house cleaning session at the beginning of the year, which seems to be a trivial matter, is also an opportunity for parents and children to share responsibilities, and talk about past events and upcoming plans.
Create family rituals to nurture attachment
Unlike expensive long trips, New Year's Day is more suitable for "family celebration" activities, things that are repeated every year, small enough to maintain, meaningful enough to look forward to.
Dr. Susan Newman, a social psychologist and long-time collaborator of the American Psychological Association, believes that family rituals help children and adults feel emotionally safe.
Common habits, although very simple, like watching a movie together every holiday, help members feel stability and belonging," Ms. Newman shared.
The family can review old photos together, tell their children old stories, or simply sit down for each person to say something they want for the new year. The important thing is to listen, not judge, not turn the conversation into a moral lecture.
In addition, spending time without electronic devices on a day off is also a way to "detoxify" family relationships. Turn off the TV, put away the phone, exchange it for a table game, a short walk around the neighborhood or an afternoon tea at home.
Solar New Year does not need to be grand. It only needs to be slow enough for everyone to look back at each other, quiet enough to listen to each other, and warm enough to feel that you are not alone in your own family. When the new year begins with true connection, it is already a decent start.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
