CHINESE NEW YEAR (SHERRY)

Chinese New Year Celebrations

HOW DO I CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR? WELL…IT’S NOT A GREAT DEAL OF A DIFFERENCE FROM OTHER FAMILIES THOUGH. FOR ME, THE CHINESE TRADITION, WE WOULD PRAY TO THE GODS AND HAVE VEGETARIAN FOOD IN THE MORNING OF THE FIRST DAY IN THE LUNAR NEW YEAR. OUR ELDERS WOULD PREPARE A VARIETY OF SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD FOR THE GUESTS. MOSTLY FOR THE FIRST DAY, I WOULD VISIT MY GRANDUNCLE’S HOUSE AFTER BREAKFAST. MANY OF MY RELATIVES WOULD GET TOGETHER AND HAVE THEIR LUNCH AND MAKE CONVERSATIONS. FOR ME, THIS IS INDEED A VALUABLE CHANCE I CHERISHED THE MOST AS I RARELY GET ANY CHANCE TO MEET UP WITH MY COUSINS EXCEPT THIS DAY OF THE WHOLE YEAR.IN ADDITION, ELDERS AND MARRIED COUPLES ARE BELIEVED TO GIVE RED PACKETS, (HONG BAO) TO THE UNMARRIED AND CHILDREN. AFTER THAT, I WOULD GO TO THE TEMPLE TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO MY BELOVED GREAT GRANDMOTHER, MY SECOND GRANDUNCLE AND MY AUNT, WHO DIED OF A RARE BRAIN CANCER. IT WAS SAD TO SAY THOUGH, BUT I HOPED THAT THEY REST IN PEACE AND CONTINUE TO WATCH OVER THEIR DESCENDENTS. FOR PREPARATION OF CHINESE NEW YEAR, YOU COULD SAY THAT IT TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME. WE HAD TO GET READY THE FOODSTUFFS, THE RED PACKETS, THE DECORATIONS OF THE HOUSE AND THE SHOPPING OF NEW CLOTHES TO BE TAKEN CARE OF JUST FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR. IT NOT ONLY TAKES UP TIME, BUT EFFORT AND A HUGE SUM OF MONEY IS PUT IN IT TOO. I VISITED MANY OF MY RELATIVES HOUSES, TO AND FRO. I VISITED UP TO 4 DIFFERENT PLACES A DAY. WHEN I CAME BACK HOME, I WAS EXHAUSTED. I LOVE THE NEW YEAR GOODIES, THEY WERE GOOD…THE CHOCOLATES, AND SWEETS…MANY MORE OTHER DELIGHT. TO SOME, THE BEST PART IS…COLLECTION OF RED PACKETS AND COUNTING HOW MUCH CASH THEY RECEIVED IN TOTAL. IT IS ALSO BELIEVED THAT IT IS BAD LUCK TO BE REPRIMANDED IN THE MIDST OF THE 15 DAYS OF CHINESE NEW YEAR. IT SHOULD BE A HAPPY OCCASION FOR ALL AND THINGS SHOULD GO SMOOTHLY WITHOUT ANY STUMBLING BLOCKS. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE A REUNION DINNER ON THE FIRST DAY, WHICH IS WHEN EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY GATHERS TOGETHER FOR A HEART WARMING AND MOUTH-WATERING DINNER OF STEAMBOAT. WE WOULD ALSO HAVE A COMMON TYPE OF FOOD FOR THE DAY-ABALONE. PLAIN YET EXPENSIVE, MOST FAMILIES WOULD HAVE THEM FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR MEALS.WE WERE MOSTLY ENCOURAGED TO WEAR THE COLOUR RED, WHICH SIGNIFIES PROSPERITY AND HAPPINESS. THIS HAS TOO, BEEN A TRADITION PASSED DOWN FROM THE EARLY YEARS WHEN OUR ANCENSTORS USED TO CELEBRATED CHINESE NEW YEAR. RED, BELIEVED TO SCARE OFF NIAN, WHICH IS A MONSTER WHO HATES RED AND ALSO THE BIANPAO, WHICH IS FIRE CRACKERS. NOWADAYS, WE RARELY SEE FIRE CRACKERS BEING PUT UP AS IT HAD BEEN BANNED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN SINGAPORE. BUT IT COULD BE SEEN AS OFTEN IN CHINA, WHERE MANY HOUSES WOULD EACH HAVE SOME ANS ALLOWED TO USE THEM ANYTIME. IT HAD BEEN SUCH A PITY THOUGH; NO MORE FIRE CRACKERS WOULD BE SEEN IN SINGAPORE ANYMORE.