Chinese New Year

My family used to celebrate Chinese New Year when I was a kid as I am Hokkien on my mom’s side. This is my childhood memories of Chinese New Year. Our Chinese New Year had always been pretty simple. We did not have drinking session so it was not loud and riotous but it’s one of the many special memories I have of my grandparents.

My late father's parents and sibling would gather at my parents’ house on Chinese New Year’s Eve for the great celebration. They would be really busy preparing all the food for prayers. My mom would make the “Nian gao”, a sticky brown cake made from glutinous rice flour and palm sugar which is also mom’s favourite desert.

Each side of our front door would be decorated with sugar cane stalks. The pair of the sugarcane symbolises harmony, unity, cooperation and strength. It’s also believed that the sugarcanes can protect the family from harm and enemies throughout the year.

My father would also make us do the red paper cuttings to stick on our walls and doors. In the evening everyone would gather for the reunion dinner.

On Chinese New Year day, everyone would wake up early. My parents and in-laws would have made the pork porridge for breakfast. Then, everyone dresses up in their new clothes. 

An altar for prayers is then set up in our living room, a few hours before the prayers are to begin. All the offerings are then placed on the altar; glutinous rice dumplings, a pyramid of oranges, apples and grapes, candles, incense, roasted pig with its tails intact, boiled chicken, different rice and noodles dishes, sweets, dips and sauces, peanuts, and the list went on, filling up the altar. There’s so much food. A truly Chinese New Year feasts. Prayer started and the candles and joss sticks are lit. Each family members burn incense and say only good words and ask for blessing for a better year ahead.

The second part of the celebration would be burning of the prepared paper pieces which symbolizes burning money for the ancestors, outside the house by my late father. He would make us fold hundreds and hundreds of the paper offerings in the form of ingots and fans before Chinese New Year.  This spirit money is set up in mountains before being burnt. Then some would let off fire-crackers, fireworks and also lion's dance to mark the arrival of New Year. However, my late father is a law-abiding citizen hence he doesn’t encourage fireworks. So boring!!

Then everyone moved into the dining room where the table was set. What was offered at the altar also we can eat. It's officially an open house.

Then in the evening, a much smaller altar is then set up at the front door.

On the second day, we would go to visit my aunties and uncles’ house which is quite fun because we get to catch up with them after a year of not seeing most of them. Ang pows would have been given out by then. We’d just play together. It’s been years since I’ve seen some of them. It would be nice if we could joke and laugh like we did when we were kids.

I truly miss celebrating Chinese New Year. A long tradition that no longer in practice.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy Chinese New Year!