Quoted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chinese New Year (simplified Chinese: 农历新年; traditional Chinese: 農曆新年; pinyin: Nónglì xīnnián; literally: "Agrarian Calendar New Year") or Spring Festival (simplified Chinese: 春节; traditional Chinese: 春節; pinyin: Chūnjié) is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the Lunar New Year, especially by people outside China. It is an important holiday in East Asia. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festivalsimplified Chinese: 元宵节; traditional Chinese: 元宵節; pinyin: yuánxiāojié). (

Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxī (除夕). Chu literally means "change" and xi means "Eve".

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. These include Koreans, Mongolians, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Vietnamese, and formerly the Japanese before 1873. In Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other countries with significant Chinese populations, Chinese New Year is also celebrated, largely by overseas Chinese, but it is not part of the traditional culture of these countries. In Canada, although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations and Canada Post issues New Year's themed stamps in domestic and international rates.

The Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, a practice known as "new-year visits" (Chinese: 拜年; pinyin: bàinián). New clothings are usually worn to signify a new year. The colour red is liberally used in all decorations. Red packets are given to juniors and children by the married and elders. See Symbolism below for more explanation.

All these festivities may vary from region to region and from family to family.

Days before the new year

On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. There is a Cantonese saying "Wash away the dirts on ninyibaat"(年廿八，洗邋遢), but the practice is not usually restricted on ninyibaat(年 二八, the 28th day of month 12). It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint. Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start (though, as described below, it may be considered bad luck among some.)

In many households where Buddhism or Taoism is prevalent, home altars and statues are cleaned thoroughly, and altars that were adorned with decorations from the previous year are also taken down and burned a week before the new year starts, and replaced with new decorations. A paper effigy of the Kitchen God, the recorder of family functions, is also burned in order to report to the Jade Emperor of the family household's transgressions and good deeds.

The biggest event of any Chinese New Year's Eve is the dinner every family will have. A dish consisting of fish will appear on the tables of Chinese families. It is for display for the New Year's Eve dinner. In northern China, it is also customary to have dumplings for this dinner. Dumplings symbolize wealth because their shape is like a Chinese tael. This meal is comparable to Christmas dinner in the West. After the dinner, some families go to local temples hours before the new year begins to pray for a prosperous new year; however in modern practice, many households hold parties and even hold a countdown to the new lunar year.

First day of the new year

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them. Some consider lighting fires and using knives to be bad luck on New Year's Day, so all food to be consumed is cooked the day before.

Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time when families visit the oldest and most senior members of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

Some families may invite a lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises. Members of the family who are married also give red packets containing cash to junior members of the family, mostly children and teenagers.

While fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally very popular, some regions have banned them due to concerns over fire hazards, which have resulted in increased number of fires around New Years and challenged municipal fire departments' work capacity. For this reason, various city governments (e.g., Hong Kong, and Beijing, for a number of years) issued bans over fireworks and firecrackers in certain premises of the city. As a substitute, large-scale fireworks have been launched by governments in cities like Hong Kong to offer citizens the experience.

Second day of the new year

The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently. On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

Business people of the Cantonese dialect group will hold a 'Hoi Nin' prayer to start their business on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year.The prayer is done to pray that they'll be blessed with good luck and prosperity in their business for the year.

Third and fourth days of the new year

The third and fourth day of the Chinese New Year are generally accepted as inappropriate days to visit relatives and friends due to the following schools of thought. People may subscribe to one or both thoughts.

1) It is known as "chì kǒu" (赤口), meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of the New Year celebration.^{[citation needed]}

2) Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead. Some people conclude it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all.

Fifth day of the new year

In northern China, people eat Jiǎozi (simplified Chinese: 饺子; traditional Chinese: 餃子) (dumplings) on the morning of Po Wu (破五). This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on this day, accompanied by firecrackers.

Seventh day of the new year

The seventh day, traditionally known as renri 人日, the common man's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older.

It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. This is a custom primarily among the overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity.

For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.

Ninth day of the new year

The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven (天公) in the Taoist Pantheon. The ninth day is traditionally the birthday of the Jade Emperor.

This day is especially important to Hokkiens and Teochews (Min Nan speakers). Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Tea is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honored person.

Fifteenth day of the new year

The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as Yuánxiāo jié (元宵节), otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in FujianTangyuan (simplified Chinese: 汤圆; traditional Chinese: 湯圓; pinyin: tāngyuán), a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, is eaten this day. Candles are lit outside houses as a way to guide wayward spirits home. This day is celebrated as the Lantern Festival, and families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns. dialect. Rice dumplings

This day often marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities.

 

Call me untraditional; not Chinese etc…. I never like Chinese New Year, not even at the thought of receiving Ang Baos. Cos I jolly well know that some havocs will occur each & every single year.

YES, the conflicts between my mum & her siblings. I seriously don't understand what really went wrong. To her (my mum), she felt that her sisters look down on her just because she is the only not English educated one. This is one of the main issues, I think. Plus the slightest issues which I can't remember what they were all about.

Therefore, this year, I already expect something not-so-new will happen.

Let's start with my smallest aunt. Each & every year, we will gather at her place for food plus exchanging of Ang Baos. Last year, I gave it a miss so I came home empty handed. This year, due to bad economy, I decided to restart my AngBaos-seeking plan again. To my mum, she thinks that her sisters should visit her instead. After all, she is elder. Sigh….. It's just a gathering. Who care whose house should it be held at? For sure, not mine, cos I do not want to do any cleaning up.

The reunion dinner. My mum already pissed me off. She was the only one who went to Boon Lay Raja Restaurant & best part, we waited for my relatives at the back door. My mum's reply was "How I know got front door?"  WTF! What kind of reply was this? & as usual, she wasn't happy with me when I sarcastically told her, "Only dogs go by back door." Oh well, I am just being frank. Oh yes, did I mention her attitude suck big time too? My smallest aunt tried to introduce her Japanese colleagues to my mum but she turned away. Even my cousin's hubby, Heng got it from her too. Reason? Cos that stupid Heng went to promise my mum that he will deliver her stuffs to her friend in Yishun, last year during Christmas season. Obviously, he forgot all about it. 

My 2nd uncle. I can't really remember what happened between them but they had ceased in touch.

My mum only talks to my 1st uncle, mistress and wife. My 3rd auntie I think. Oh well, as usual, complained about me for always shouting at her. Hmmmmm….. I thought she is always deaf? Cos whenever I talked to her, I will expect a reply of "Huh?" & she simply just pisses me off by making me repeat. Rude? Maybe I guess. Then I would say she is petty too.

Just half hour ago, she asked me how much I had for Ang Baos. "$58 excluding hers." Her reply was "Better than me. I only got $28." What kind of reply was that? Does she know the real meaning of Ang Baos? Does she need to be re-educate again? Oh well, if she wanna more Ang Bao, then I suggest to her that she don't even get married, then there will be no me. Win Win Situation.

Enough said.

I rest my case since it's the 1st day of the Lunar New Year. Or rather, I don't talk to people whose brain are "tart-sai" aka full of shits!

Haiz………. Been days since mum is sick!

Heard her coughing the whole night. Keep waking up & remind her to take her medication.

Decided to stay at home instead of going to work cos no one is at home with her. I am kinda afraid that she will faint. My dad and my sister are working today.

My job today? Make sure that she takes her medication and to make sure that she isn't hungry.

Hope she gets better tomorrow. Cough is hard to cure….  

HAIZ…..

Sad to say, my dad had to work today so we urged him to be home by 5.15pm.

We proceeded to Soup Restaurant for dinner. They only have the Father's day Set Meal A & B, we took the set B but with 7 dishes only. More than enough to eat already.

Not a bad dinner but the price is……… SDG$148 all in. Not really that expensive. I had my snow jelly and black chicken soup leh…. Anyway, it's just once a year thingy. Does not matter! 

P/S: The pictures we took on Thursday at Party World. I will load them up soon as well as part of my loots on Saturday.  

Alright, took mummy to Soup Restaurant to have a feast.

BUT,

Oops….. Forgotten to take pictures of the food (Guess I was too hungry just now.)

Anyway, Happy Mothers' Day to all mummies, thou I am not one myself yet & do not wish to be one in the next few years.

Yes, mum is getting better after the medication I had given, which means if I am out of job, I can be a nurse assistant in a clinic? Hee…… (I am just kidding…)

As agreed, my dad will be off tomorrow while I returned to work. Heng ah, I would rather go to work instead of staying home cos no air con at home and the heat is KILLING me!

Oh yeah, saw the 6.30pm news just now. HAIZ…. 14 car chain collision at CTE owards Orchard. 1 lorry driver was injured. Another one at Commonwealth West Ave Traffic Junction, a car and a van. Best, the van overturned. The driver was injured.

/ looking up in the sky & praying hard to god.

Hoping that none of the above is my case.

Gonna hit the sack soon. I will be busy today since I am on URGENT LEAVE today. 2 days work! Oh well, with my working style, I will be able to be at Harry's Pub @ 5.30pm. Gonna leave at 6.45pm cos I have a massage appointment. This weekend? No plans…. Mother's Day leh…. Bringing her to Crystal Jade for lunch since she can eat porridge now. Sunday, I will need to be home to charge up my battery.

Chaoz…… & night!

Haiz…

She refused to go see doctor or TCM….

As usual, I became the unlicensed doctor, unpacked my bags of medication at home. If I am not wrong, she suffered from stomach flu. Kept vomitting and migraine. Oh well, she took the stop vomitting medicine and the synflex. Now she is resting.

Me, being a lousy cook, simply just made some porridge for her… Plain porridge but she can only have the "soup" of the porridge. Otherwise she will throw out again…….

My lunch? Maggi mee… Did not want to bother my sister - the "bummer" at home.

I was supposed to be on course today but unfortunately, mum was sick.

I was not aware at all. Such a useless daughter I am!

*Feeling damn gulity*

I was until my daddy gave me a ring on my mobile telling me that mum is sick and asked me to go on urgent leave so I can accompany her to the TCM later.

Oh well, no choice. If you know my family background, its simply seems to show that I am the only kid at home. HAIZ……..

But again, never mind. She told care of me very well while I was damn sick a few weeks back.

After all, blood is thicker than water!

Thou it is kind of early to buy Father's Day gift, but I told my mum to get it since I have the money now. Not wait till then, I don't have money and I am dead.

She helped me to get these for my dad: -

A wallet from Goldlion. After discount, $55.

This is a Goldlion belt. It costs about $30.

Either one will be his birthday gift (8th July) & Father's Day gift. Up to him to decide.

My job is done.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN ADVANCE AND HAPPY FATHER'S DAY IN ADVANCE.

This is the gift I bought for mummy for Mother's Day.

A Bonia sling bag. She loves sling bag cos she says that her memory sucks. But she dislikes the colour as it is too dark. But I told her it is easier for her to take care as it will not get dirty easily.

Anyway, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Now, I am pondering what to buy for dad for Father's Day. No more T-shirt from Crocodile, so boring!

Yes, I did mentioned about what I bought for mummy for her birthday.

We went to Swenson for lunch (Sad to say, I did not take any pictures).

Nevertheless, I bought her a wallet from Bonia (She loves Bonia & Bonia is getting way & way more expensive).  If I am not wrong, this costs me $90 after a 10% discount. She loves the wallet and is using now.