Chinese New Year : Celebrating traditional & modern in Year of Dog

Greetings from Shanghai where the pace of life is slowly returning to normal after the Chinese New Year festivities, which kicked off on Feb 16th.

I've long enjoyed CNY celebrations in cities around the world. However, the experience of my first Spring Festival in Shanghai is one I will not soon forget.

The 15-day festival is the most important holiday on China's cultural and retail calendars. For reference, it's interesting to know that Chinese families spent close to $100 billion on CNY shopping and dining in 2014– almost double what was spent during American Thanksgiving.

A cultural tension

Among other things, I observed the festival to be a study in contrasts. On the one hand, there is a strong cultural imperative to return home for a traditional celebration with family members. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that homeward-bound Chinese travelers make almost 3 billion trips annually during the New Year celebration, creating the world's largest human migration.

However, the idea of duonian, or "escaping" from the Spring Festival is also gaining popularity throughout China. Growing numbers of urban professionals enjoy escaping the mainland for international vacations, while migrant workers are increasingly forgoing trips home to skip the financial burden of the gifts expected to accompany their arrival.

Travel home or escape? Cook a traditional meal or dine out? Shop at customary markets or online? Give time-honored gifts or foreign goods? Or even an English couplet?

The interplay between 5,000 years of tradition and a decidedly modern lifestyle was at play throughout CNY preparations and celebrations this year.

At many points during the festival, I encountered people expressing aspects of this duality – a deep yearning to honor tradition mixed with a desire to infuse their holiday celebrations with contemporary goods and experiences.