I hate the bad music, the silly superstitions (which has led to us having a collection of new year goodies foisted on us which I know we will not finish) and how absolutely tiring it is. Most of all, I hate how it is the mother of all family obligations. Like the sum total of all family obligations rolled into one very busy day.
But when I didn't have to celebrate it, like in the year that I was away in the UK, I did. I had a reunion dinner with my friends, attended some dinners and learnt to play mahjong. And I missed my family. Maybe I'm just contrary that way. (Ok, and maybe I missed receiving those ang pows too.)
I asked DD if he liked or hated celebrating the Lunar New Year, and he said he didn't like it, but if he had to choose between celebrating it and not celebrating it, he would choose the former. That's how I feel about it too. I would celebrate it, but I'd cut out all the nonsense like unnecessary visiting!
What I do like is that it is an opportunity to formally wish our parents well for the year ahead and receive the same from them. We had to do this on Day 2 of the New Year with my parents cos we had church in the morning on Sunday and the rest of Day 1 was just packed out. My family has a tradition where my siblings and I would each 拜年 with our parents with the quinessential manadarin oranges and serve them logan tea. Our favourite part though is where we each try to outdo each other in bestowing on our parents long strings of 4-word well-wishes in Chinese. Wishing my mother 年年美丽 for example, is a popular one! It is often hilarious and everyone takes it in good spirit.
I think my sister just snuck in a 不要生气 directed at my mother at this point.
Jokes aside (and yes, we do switch to English for the better part of the exchange), I like that it allows me to wish my parents the very best for the year ahead.
And this year, with Noey being involved and more able to participate and understand what was going on, it was all the more meaningful. He was, of course, the family favourite!
Noey does "tip me over and pour me out" after he spied the teapot on the table and insisted that we sing "I'm a Little Teapot".
Wishing Kong Kong Happy New Year with some help from Yiyi
Gong xi gong xi!
Very helpfully giving Daddy's Ang Pow back to Kong Kong. No wonder he's such a hot favourite with his Kong Kong! (And yes, we still get Ang Pows from my parents, though since I started working, I've always given them one too.)
Noey does his part and his well-practiced "gong xi gong xi" for us folks.
Big kisses from Papa!
"Ok, I'll take those oranges back if I have to. Gimme!"
On the shoulder is the best way to carry anything!
(This is uncannily like me!)
The star attraction with his adoring grandparents.
Having probably just too much fun on the couch.
Hmmm, I just realised we forgot the annual 全家福 this year!
You guys really seemed to have alot of fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, and Xy says 'Roar'! (which means Hi in Tigerspeak...)
Nat can only say 谢谢！
ReplyDeleteooh, you guys are very traditional in terms of 拜年 to your parents.
ReplyDeleteit's hilarious how the pets in the families get terrorised by the kids. my dog never puts himself in the situation whereby he's alone with matt these days.
wow your sister's hair is now so long! Does Noey do a tiger roar to accompany the gong xi gong xi? :p Happy Tiger Year!
ReplyDeleteNoey is soo smart!! He actually asks for the teapot song to be sung??! WOW.
ReplyDeleteI have a hate-hate r/s with Chinese New Year. Would love the common 2-days break to catch up with families and friends (AT OUR OWN LEISURE TIME WITHOUT OBLIGATIONS), but I would do away with everything else. Everything.
Ok, I shan't spread the negativity, heh. Happy new year to you, D, and Noey, and all at home! :)
sockling :: we try to make the most of it! "roar" back to Xy too (though i woud have loved to hear her say it!).
ReplyDeletelilsnooze :: noey says 谢谢 with a very ang-moh-fied accent. huh huh. going to have some issues with chinese, this one!
candice :: oh yes, in this aspect we're pretty traditional. which was so why i had o problems with the tea ceremony during our wedding -- just bring it on! haha. but DD's family does the same thing, though on a smaller scale so i thought it was quite usual?
daphne :: he would roar if you ask him to! heh.
yuling :: oh yes, he's quite the tyrant these days. he's always going "book!" and "read!" and "draw!". he can't say "sing" but like in this case, he would say "teapot!" and look and nod meaningfully at me, which in noey-speak means sing. hahaha.
i know how tiresome CNY can be. hope it wasn't too bad this year for you!