Happy New Year: 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè)
As long as we have hope, we have direction,
the energy to move, and the map to move by
– Chinese proverb
All over China and amongst Chinese communities around the world. families will be gathering for their ‘New Year’s Eve dinner’ (年夜饭 / Nián yèfàn) or Reunion dinner (团年饭 / tuán niánfàn).
Dishes might include steamed fish or chicken, dumplings, Spring rolls and Nian gao (rice cakes)
We have celebrated Chinese New Year in many places. With colleagues from international schools, it was always a chance to celebrate together, after spending the Christmas and New Year holidays apart. A second New Years celebration.
Four years ago I had travelled to Hong Kong for a conference. It was around the time of Chinese New Year and the perfect opportunity to stock up on paper lanterns and decorations to usher in the year of the rooster.
I travelled back to Jakarta and we hosted a rooster party for our Bintaro family. Our house was full of friends. We gave everyone Hongbao, tiny red packets for money gifts, with shiny roosters on them. And we celebrated the Chinese New year together. My inner rooster crowed.
Cockadoodledoo
Four years on, things look a little different. There won’t be a big party or a house full of friends. Virus restrictions have put paid to that. But we will still have a low key celebration.
PKP is an Ox. Traditionally it is believed that those born under the sign of the ox are hard workers, honest and intelligent people. They are also very modest, rarely looking for praise or to be the centre of attention. All the more reason to celebrate the Ox of the house.
For our Chinese New Year dinner we will be slurping some steaming hot noodles, with vegetables and egg, symbolic for a healthy family.
In Chinese cooking, many of the ingredients have symbolic meanings;
- Eggs: big and healthy family
- Lobster: endless money rolling in
- Shrimp: fortune and wealth
- Roasted pig: peace
- Duck: loyalty
- Peaches: longevity
- Tofu: happiness and fortune for the entire family
- Fish: surplus and wealth
Chinese New Year is an auspicious celebration; a time of hope. And if we all need anything right now it is hope; that the Coronavirus will lose potency, that the vaccines will provide protection and that families and friends around the world will soon be able to re-unite.
We need to look ahead to better times.
恭贺新禧 (gōng hè xīn xǐ)
How will you be celebrating Chinese New Year?
© Maggie M / Mother City Time