My Chinese New Year Eve

Well, its already Tuesday today and work for another 2.5 days, i.e. Wednesday, Thursday and half day on Friday, its again holiday... Chinese New Year (CNY).

This CNY will be different from the previous years. This year unfortunately, my family will be missing my Dad, as he passed away late last year. Every year during CNY, the thing that I look forward the most is the New Year Eve. Not the New Year day itself but the New Year Eve.

This is the day where my parents and myself will wake up very early in the morning, at about 5am to go to the morning market to buy fresh vegetables, pork, fish, prawns etc from the fresh market for the reunion lunch / dinner.

My Dad is a very typical person and holds on to tradition. I still can remember last year's new year, as my brother and sister-in law is staying in their own house, they will only come to my our house late in the morning, just in time for the reunion lunch, my Dad did commented to me on my sister-in-law not coming back early to help out my mom who was cooking in the kitchen. I still can remember that time I was sitting in the living room with him and he looks kinda disappointed that my sister-in-law did not turn up to help out in the kitchen. He says that being a daughter-in-law, she should come in early to assist my mom in the kitchen and not let my mom cooks alone and then she just come back to eat as this is not right.

Anyway, these are all history already since he is not able to join us for anymore reunion lunches or dinners. I will surely miss you Dad. Hope you too are having a great new year where ever you are Dad! Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

I still can remember that during the Eve of CNY, after the prayers to the ancestors, the whole family will sit down and have our lunch. This is the time I will try to be "sneaky" to bring out some beers and drink it with my Dad, as my brother don't drink at all.

This tradition started back when I was in college. Of course I know drinking is not good, but once a year its acceptable. My Mom will give make some comments but, my Dad being a Dad, he will encourage me. Although we did not drink that much, just perhaps 3 cans per person, the time is really enjoyable as after the meal, we will carry our glasses out to the living room to continue the drinking session until the evening /dinner time.

In the first year drinking with my Dad, I remember as soon as I finishes the first can, I started to have "alcohol rashes" all over my body. It itches so badly and this will last for about 2 weeks. It will be painful when I sweat, but this eventually goes away after my body started to get immune to the alcohol.

About 3 to 4 years back, we started to have reunion dinners with my relatives in restaurant. The bill will be shared by all the families that attended. This year is no different. Last week as my brother had came back, I had told him to come back early at about 10 to 11am to offer prayers to my Dad before the 4 of us can sit down to have our reunion lunch.

Then, as for the dinner, we will be joining my uncle who will host us for the dinner at a local hotel. This year the bill will not be split as due to the passing of my Dad, we are not celebrating the CNY, therefore, the dinner will be hosted by my Uncle.

There is one more tradition that we practice in my family is that at after 12am on the CNY Eve, I will start he cycle of going to my Dad first, shaking his hand and wishing him Happy New Year, then followed to my Mom and my Brother and last but not least my Sister-in-law.

Then, we will pray for the blessing for the year ahead and my Dad will hold the main joss stick and initiate the prayers. Red fire crackers that is 8 ft long will definitely in the agenda after the prayers. My brother and me will bring out the pole to hang the fire crackers and I will be the one who light it.

During the Eve of CNY, the normally silence of the night will typically broken by the fire crackers burning sound way into early hours in the morning.

Well, with the current economy slow down, I wonder if the general public is still going to burn as much fire crackers as previous years???

Ahh.. one more agenda I left out, normally on the Eve or 2 days before CNY, I will typically meet up with my ex-housemates. 2 fellow doctors that is working oversea will come back for the CNY and we will typically meet up for either lunch or dinner or just a cuppa tea. I wonder if this year is going to be the same??

Anyway, Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!! Have a Great Year of the OX ahead!!