In China, it’s customary to put up these intricate kirigami patterns on your doors and windows during celebrations, such as New Year or weddings. This particular one is for a wedding, with the traditional “double happiness” in its center. The paper used is usually bright red, but fades quickly with time. It invokes in me a general sense of nostalgia, and I often wonder if reality had been as sweet as imagined, when the person first put up the kirigami in anticipation of all the joy that comes with it. Although, in light of the smoke coming out of the factory chimney outside, adding to the general gloominess of the long and cold winter, perhaps even faded warmth is better than nothing at all.
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