9-11 February 2013
It's a time for extended families to come together and celebrate the beginning of the new year and bid farewell to the old year. The new year celebrations last for fifteen days, but the most important night is New Year's Eve when there is a huge reunion dinner to thank the gods and honor the ancestors.
On Friday, some of my Chinese students gave me a gift basket with oranges, New Year's treats, and ang pao. Instead of containing money, the ang pao had short notes written by the students wishing me a good, memorable year in Malaysia and thanking me for coming to teach at their school. This was the best gift they could have given me!
In the evening I took the local bus to Segamat to meet my friend Freddie. A while back, he invited me to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend the holiday. Freddie and I met at the Penang Ultimate Frisbee Hat tournament at the beginning of December. His family happens to live in Segamat, the nearest town to Labis. An incredible coincidence.
Freddie and me having fun on a swing
We had a quiet first evening at home, watching television, looking at old family photos, and chatting late into the night. We ate dinner at a local Chinese restaurant with his brother, mother, and aunt, a very small preview of Saturday night's extended family dinner. Freddie's mom seems to know everyone is town, greeting every customer who walked in the door. When you live in a small town, everyone knows everyone.
Over the course of the weekend, I believe it is safe to say that I gained 5 pounds from delicious CNY food! One breakfast with Freddie's mom and aunt was followed by breakfast with Freddie and Patrick which was then followed by coffee. A mandatory sampling of yellow rice and mixed salad in the mid-afternoon and a table full of delicious foods in the evening. This is not to mention the taste testing of the plethora of New Year's treats and cookies. Repeat the following day.
New Year's Eve's dinner
On Saturday, the eve of the new year, we had a relaxing day, spending most of it at Freddie's grandma's house watching episodes of a Korean TV show, playing with the children, and attempting to help prepare the food.
In the evening, aunts, uncles, and cousins all came together to share the new year's meal. First we had to lou sang (mix) the vegetarian yee sang, a traditional new year's dish. Taking chopsticks or other cutlery, we had to toss the colorful mix in the air shouting our wishes for the new year. Then let the feasting begin!!
Mixing yee sang
At midnight we set off the fireworks. Fireworks had been sounding since the morning but culminated into a surround sound experience at midnight. There were poppers, ground sparklers, fireworks that shot into the sky, and the Chinese specialty, the red firecracker, a long strand of poppers that are hung from a pole and lit from the bottom. It's a domino effect until they've all popped - very exciting and loud. It is believed that the fireworks scare away the evil spirits.
The Chinese Red Firecracker
Many families were also releasing red Chinese lanterns into the sky, in hopes that the wishes they wrote on them will come true in the new year.
Sunday morning began with Catholic mass, the service of which was conducted in Mandarin, so I'm afraid I didn't understand anything. At the end, the church offered ang pao (red packets containing money) and mandarin oranges to the congregation.
The day was once again spent at Freddie's grandma's house, eating two lunches (including fatt choy, the prosperity vegetable dish), playing and gambling (a new year's tradition) with the children, chatting with the adults, and serving tea to the elders. It is tradition for the unmarried youth to give tea to their elders, and in return, they receive ang pao. I served tea to Freddie's mom wishing her prosperity, health, and youth in the new year, much to the delight of everyone around. In return, I too received ang pao, truly becoming part of the family.
The children lining up to give tea to Freddie's mother when she arrived on Saturday afternoon
Me giving tea in exchange for ang pao
I had a fantastic time getting to know Freddie's diverse family and spending a family oriented holiday with them. THANK YOU FREDDIE for letting me be a part of your family's celebrations!!!
Additional Tidbits
On the first day of the new lunar year, everyone wears new clothes. New beginning, new clothes.
Many people wear red because it is believed that the evil spirits are afraid of red (and loud noises, hence the fireworks).
You are not allowed to clean because it would be sweeping away the good luck that comes with the year. Thus all of the remains from the previous night's fireworks must stay until the following day.
Some people bathe with flower petals to keep away evil spirits.
Incense is burned in honor of the ancestors and hell money is burned to appease the evil spirits.
Lion dance
No comments:
Post a Comment