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The chilling weather is making me think about the beginning of another year and, for me, the countdown has begun to the launch of the Spring Festival Gala.
Broadcast on the Eve of Chinese New Year and featuring acrobatics, dance, music, skits and stand-up comedy, this annual event attracts more than 700 million viewers.
Watching it at home with families during the freezing transitional period between winter and spring is an essential ingredient for most Chinese households during their reunions.
Yet, as the old chestnut goes, it's hard to please all the people all the time.
The reconciliation of the various tastes and preferences of China's huge population doesn't come easy, especially when attempting to work these assorted elements into merely a few hours of television.
One only has to rewind and look at the previous galas that have been staged down the decades to realize the tremendous changes that have already happened to strengthen the charm of the big show.
However, these constant improvements do not exempt the annual event from criticism from some members of the audience and some critics.
But if we put any negatives aside, the show is evolving and offers a glimpse of condensed Chinese culture.
The gala can really serve as an expedient way to acquire a general grasp of what has been going on in people's lives throughout the preceding year.
The skits and comic dialogues mostly are reflective of the current hot events and offer a funny or sarcastic summary, within reason, of people's feelings.
Prominent acrobatics, distinctive music and ethnic dances from all across the country are also featured to spice up the mainstream culture.
With a great deal of input and effort at the planning stage, the bumpy road of many shows finally gets chosen.
Under the weight of extremely high expectations, the people who organize the gala relentlessly pursue the finest performers from the avalanche of alternatives.
Artists have to jump several hoops before landing their feet on the stage.
Unfortunately, the tough competition means only a fraction of those who want to perform can be the lucky ones who get to do so and many have to cope with the disappointment of being left out.
Follow-up programs also greatly enhance the dramatic impact of the Spring Festival Gala by disclosing funny and poignant anecdotes from behind the scenes.
There was one piece last year about a parkour group of five dashing youngsters who were adrift in the capital city and who fancied their chances of performing their urban assault course autics on the show.
But when they were approaching the big day, four were called off due to the sudden changes in the arrangement and only one stayed. With tears brimming over, these tough kids gritted out their insistence in trembling voices that they would never give up.
So, even if perfection is miles away, we owe a big hand to the efforts of all of those behind the curtains who did not make it - after all, the acts that make it onto the stage are the cream of the crop.
This year, the gala organizers made another innovation. They gave some control to the audience in selecting acts by starting a TV program on CCTV-3 called I want to be on stage at the Spring Festival Gala. It offers a platform for all those potential talents. Audiences can vote for the acts they want to progress to the big show.
In addition, numerous unknown background stories related to the performers are uncovered, bringing the acts closer to the audience.
Although the TV program may be just there to generate a buzz for the gala, it increases the interaction and helps the gala match public interest.
So, this year, I will sit for hours through the gala on New Year's Eve and applaud or let rip at the acts. After all, it gives my family common topics to chat about surrounded by cheerful holiday ambiance. |
