Cheryl, P.S. 169 Sunset Park School, 2019-Current
Since Chinese New Year is arriving, I would say mandarin orange/tangerine reminds me of my family’s culture. Mandarins are smaller and oblate, rather than spherical like common oranges. The taste is considered less sour, as well as sweeter and stronger. Mandarins are one the most cultivated citrus fruits in China, Korea, Japan, and Florida in the United States. During the Chinese New Year, you could see mandarins all around. It is because mandarins are considered a traditional symbol of wealth, abundance, good fortune and happiness. Mandarins are frequently displayed as decorations at home and presented as gifts to friends, relatives, and business associates during the two weeks of the New Year celebration. Every year I would go to the supermarket with my mom to buy mandarins and other foods, in order to prepare the dishes and welcome the New Year’s arrival. Our whole family would have the reunion dinner and fruit the night before the Chinese New Year (pretty much like Thanksgiving). Also, in the next couple of days, we would visit and greet our friends or relatives with fruit like mandarins or oranges, and sometimes perhaps candy and cookies. These are the wonderful traditions and memories from my childhood and I will definitely pass it down to my future kids as well.
