Chinese New Year is a very special time. Christmas is magical, with pretty decorations and presents, it is a meaningful and happy time at the end of the year. But Chinese New Year is important. The year never really start until Chinese New Year. It has a significant place in the hearts of Chinese around the world. It is above all about Chinese customs and traditions. Known as the Spring Festival in China, it kicks off with the reunion dinner for families. So it is also about the family unit. And the extended family of relatives, and in business, partners and associates.
Chinese New Year, to me, is really a celebration of being Chinese. About who I am and where I am from. Which is why with each passing year, I celebrate it with more attention to its customs. Yet the Chinese New Year customs are complex and they have evolved with the times. While there are common threads among Chinese celebrating the Chinese New Year around the world, each Chinese society has its specialties and peculiarities. Yusheng, for example, is quite unique to Singapore. Red and more red are accepted as the common norm. There is a period of ‘spring cleaning’ leading up to the actual day when ‘out with the old and in with the new’ is the adage.
Celebrating Chinese New Year in the tropics can appear strange to someone in China, not unlike singing ‘White Christmas’ under the sun. We get a feel of the cold spring in China from some temperate climate plants and flowers. But they need special care. The Peach Blossoms needs ice and a lot of water to bloom. So, in addition to Ang Pows, oranges and feasting, there is also a ‘flora and fauna’ dimension to Chinese New Year. The sales of Chinese New Year plants and flowers have become a thriving business. The Chinese New Year equivalent of the Christmas Tree is the Kumquat Tree, with the bright orange fruits believed to bring luck and the tree itself believed to be auspicious for wealth in the New Year.
Each flower or plant has its own good luck meaning for the coming year. Kumquat, Tangerine and Narcissus bring good luck, Peonies bring wealth, Peach Blossoms bring romance, Gladiolus brings advancements in job and schoolwork, and Lucky Bamboos turn luck around for the household. Many Chinese use the ‘spring cleaning’ to ‘overhaul’ their wardrobe and house furnishing. Maybe I am just referring to myself. I do not shop much until before Chinese New Year. For a few weeks, I try to enjoy shopping for what I need in my daily life. As a child, Chinese New Year was about loud firecrackers, new clothes, special New Year food, snacks and Ang Pow money. As an adult it is about new beginnings.
This year, my sister Shirley is organising the reunion dinner at her brand new house. After dinner, I will proceed to watch the midnight fireworks with friends at the Marina Bay. Chinese New Year is now a timely reminder to count my blessings. This year, I am very blessed to be able to spend another Chinese New Year with my mother. Some friends are surprised how seriously I observe the Chinese New Year customs. My whole house is transformed. Each year it refines my practices for an important Chinese festivity. It makes me feel good about being Chinese in a multi-racial society. The New Year is also about starting a new cycle. While bracing myself for challenges, I am looking forward to more blessings and working towards being a blessing to others.
On behalf of the Yun household, my mother, our help Siti and I, here is wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Wealthy Dragon Year. Kong Ye Wuat Sai, our greeting in Hainanese. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
