Chinese New Year celebrations are over and done with, along with our week-long break from school. Classes have resumed. *sigh* It's time to get those brains working hard again... But before I do, let me share some things, though limited, that I learned about Chinese New Year here in Singapore.
1. Since it is a new lunar year, one is expected to wear something new or sport something new. Some go to the extreme of not only wearing new clothes but also new undies, new haircut/hairdo, new shoes, maybe a new car, etc. NEW is IN! I didn't wear anything new though hehehe...
2. To usher in the new year, spring cleaning is a MUST here. It's good to have everything neat and tidy when the new year comes so most people cleaned their houses before new year. I remembered to sweep my room =)
3. Most decorations are of the lucky color red. Black is considered unlucky, so they don't like it when you go to their houses wearing black during this time. According to them, you invite bad luck to the house and its occupants.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Some details about Chinese New Year
4. When visiting houses, you have to give a pair of orange to the family. I hear this is only done in Singapore. I know that Chinese consider round objects as lucky, but giving them in pairs is a new thing for me. But small oranges, the not so good kind, are used for decorations.
5. For the single and unmarried, the married ones are expected to give you 'angpow', money in red envelopes. It's a great time to be single, especially if you are Chinese! I did get a few dollars from the houses we visited =) But I heard from a Chinese friend that you can really get a lot during this time.
6. It's a time of family reunions, and therefore, a time of feasting!
7. In Singapore, they have this appetizer/dish called 'lo hei', consisting of shredded vegetables and fish in some. They pour some peanuty sauce on it and then the whole family or friends that gathered have to mix up all the ingredients (with chopsticks of course!). In the process of pouring the sauce and mixing it all up, each one should be saying blessings for the coming year. (Thanks to my Singaporean friend, Pei, for this info.) I was a little confused when we did this so I wasn't able to utter a coherent word. Well, the Lord knows what blessings I need for the year ahead hehehe...
Gong Xi Fa Chai!
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8 comments:
During one Chinese New Year a classmate gave me tikoy (the sticky rice thing shaped like a pancake). Nagdala yata siya ng marami for his seatmates and I happen to be one of them. Akala ko puwede ng kainin pero kailangan pa palang lutuin hehe.
Pautang ng nakolekta mong dolyar!:) Lalong minalas anoh?
I love tikoy esp. the ones made by Master Hopia in Baguio. But the uncooked Tikoy, someone gave me one too and I was given instructions on how to prepare it with eggs, etc. but the result was so bad and the taste was so wrong:) that the whole thing went straight to the trash. Sayang...
Galeng naman nung red envelope for singles.
Speaking of Tikoy, we used to throw that away. But, when we learned how to cook it first with eggs as what Ganda said, kami na ang humihingi from the Chinese na magbobote.
Bilib din ako sa mga Chinese because they really observe this tradition of theirs. Like in Baguio, their community is well organized and merong unity to come up with parades and other activities in lined with this occasion. Pati nga sa negosyo e tulungan sila kaya most of them do succeed.
Hi Sir BB, na a! How come I haven't tasted tikoy here? Hmm.. I used to buy tikoy sa may SM namin, the cooked one though, where they will have Chinese goodies stalls when its Chinese New Year. Yummy!
Hey sis, you better ask Manang Lovelyn how to cook the uncooked tikoy. Sayang naman ung mga tinatapon mo hehehe...
Hi Manang Lovelyn, galeng talaga! Pati kami na hindi Chinese, nadamay na rin sa grasya ehehehe...
Thanks, you all , for visiting.
great to know u had a swell time jan kahit short lang break.saw ur multiply pics pero di lang ako nagcocomment.hehe.
i don't believe in those traditions.:-) there must be truth in them though. look at china- it's now one of the richest nations in the world, and members of the chinese community being always wealthy, wherever they are. (of course they work hard and they know the importance of saving and being thrifty.)
anyway, i'm joining you in praying for that blessing.
come, money, come! (i remember you translating GONG XI FA CHAI that way.:-))
That's one of my resolutions: spring cleaning. My room is a mess. hehe
Bakit kaya they give money to the single people?
The food looks naimas! :D
Hi ading, yep! It was a good break. But I think kita rin ung kinain ko ng isang linggong break sa katawan ko. Hehehehe...
Wen met a, Mng Pagano. Come, money, come latta adi! =b
Hi Wil, the married people also give to children by the way. I think it's a way of supporting them. Yep, the food was naimas!
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