A Time For Celebration

16th January 2012,

It’s that time of the year again, when a New Year not only brings joy and celebration to those who are celebrating it, but also for the entire nation! That’s certainly one of the perks Malaysia has to offer – it being such a multi-racial country where every citizen celebrates as one.

This month marks the Chinese New Year celebration which falls on the 23rd of January, thus welcoming in the Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions, lion dances, mandarin oranges, giving or collecting Ang Pows – some of the most fascinating aspects of Chinese traditions and rituals.

The festival, which once also marked the beginning of Spring in China, begins on the first day of the lunar calendar year (the first day of the new moon) and ends on the 15th day, known as Chap Goh Meh (the last day of the full moon). As with any race, there are certain do’s and don’ts that follows,. So before we prepare our homes and head on with the shopping for new clothes, perhaps we could learn a little more about what Chinese New Year is all about.

The Year Of The Dragon 2012

The only mythological creature in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon epitomizes the yang (male/warm) energy. Those with the dragon as their animal sign are lively people who are straight to the point, proud, full of enthusiasm and have great passion for life. They are dynamic and stand out characters in a crowd, as they are flamboyant and tend to leave a blazing trail behind them; igniting passion in some, but also scorching others who fail to ride the wave with them. Dragons are also profoundly loyal to family and friends and think nothing of laying their lives down to protect their brood.

Although sincere and honest, dragons are known to act first, think later, and suffer in leisure. They can never keep their mouths shut, indulge in idle gossips and tend to believe they can take on just about anything. They can be eccentric and egotistical, demanding of others to laugh at their jokes or laud their actions. Intelligent and charismatic, ironically, the dragon seldom apply its wisdom carefully and choose to flirt with imagined grandeur instead.

The Year 2012 is the 4709th Chinese year. The Chinese believe that the first king of China was the Yellow King (he was not the first emperor of China). The Yellow King became King in 2697 B.C., therefore China will enter its 4709th year on January 23rd, 2012.

The Origins

Nobody knows when the legendary story about Nian began. According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the ‘Nian’, who would come on the first day of the New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more of its people.

And then one day, the villagers saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red, which led the villagers to believe the Nian was afraid of the color red. Hence, every time when the New Year rolls around, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again and was eventually captured by Hongjun Laozu, an ancient Taoist monk. The Nian became Hongjun Laozu’s mount.

Symbolism Of The Reunion Dinner

Although proper celebration begins on the first day, the night before is probably more important as family members from near or far return home for the reunion dinner to rekindle family ties and enjoy an extensive spread. Traditional dishes have symbolic meanings:

• A dish with fish for togetherness and abundance
• A dish with a whole chicken for prosperity and good luck
• A dish with noodles for long life
• A dish with prawns for liveliness and happiness
• A dish with oysters for all good things to come
• A dish with lotus seed to signify the coming of more male offspring
• A dish with gingko nuts that represents silver and gold ingots
• A dish with moss seaweed for exceeding in wealth
• A dish with dried bean curd, never white bean curd, for fulfilment in wealth and happiness
• A dish with bamboo shoots so everything will be well

Traditional Taboo
There are many taboos and beliefs regarding luck and prosperity during the Chinese New Year period. Founded or not, most Chinese adhere to these beliefs without questions, believing it is better to be safe than sorry. And because we’re not too sure ourselves, perhaps it’s advisable to take heed when setting up our homes to families and guests.

•The rice urn should be cleaned out, replaced with fresh new rice, filled to the brim. Alternatively, a packet of uncooked rice sporting a red paper cutting can be displayed. A fresh new Ang Pow containing money must also be placed underneath the rice.
•One is also obliged to have a minimum of two or more helpings of food at every meal over the 15 days as it symbolizes an abundance of food.
•Saying nice things to other people first thing in the morning effectively brings goodwill from everyone you meet. Wearing new clothes on the 1st day of Chinese New Year brings goodness into your life; an article of clothing that is red is considered most auspicious. Single people often wear red undergarments.
•The entire house should be cleaned before New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are to be put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year’s Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away.
•After New Year’s Day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door, the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day.
•It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick, should get dressed and sit in the living room.
•Foul language, scolding and crying are to be avoided on the first day as is the use of sharp instruments such as knives and scissors. Care must be taken not to break any dishes or things. If you do, the broken pieces must be kept and only be thrown out on the following day.
•If there has been a recent death in your family, you are encouraged not to go visit anyone as you may bring misfortune to your hosts’ homes.
•All business debts must be settled before the New Year and nothing should be lent on the first day as anyone who does so will be lending the entire year.

The Yee Sang Tale

The story of Yee Sang actually began 1,500 years ago during the Sung dynasty in Southern China, the coastal areas of Chaozhou and Shantou. The earliest Yee Sang was called Kam Tse Yuk Hwei, which translates into “gold, spices, jade, the last referring to the color of the fish.”

According to the Chinese legend, the goddess Nu Wa spent six days creating animals out of mud. On the first day she created the rooster, which is, after all, the earliest creature to rise; the next is the dog, following closely, the goat, the pig, the ox, the horse, and on the seventh day Nu Wa created man.

To commemorate this day, Yee Sang would be prepared in feats and religious ceremonies to mark not only the auspicious day but also as a show of respect to Nu Wa; mostly practiced by fishermen and seafarers. This practice was later introduced in South-East Asia when the Chinese migrated to Malaya and Singapore in search of a better life.

Colors played an important role in the assembly of the dish even then. It would comprise of orange peel, white plums, brown chestnuts, ginger and garlic, with sour plum sauce used to stir up the ingredients. Spices were then added by food connoisseur and writer Chiang Han Lian in a lesser dynasty after Sung.

The Yee Sang has now come a long way, going through many stages of trial and error, and now finally settling into a recipe that is familiar and delicious. The dish would have crunchy shrimp crackers, deep friend yam strips, jellyfish, pickled leek heads, juicy pomelo beads, five-spice powder, pepper, sesame seeds, ground roasted peanuts, spring onion, kaffir lime leaves, lime juice and that special tangy plum sauce. The dish also consists strips of Salmon or Tuna, after all, the name Yee Sang itself symbolizes abundance, prosperity and vigor.

When Yee Sang is eaten, the ritual is to toss the mixed ingredients high in the air with a shout of “Loh Hey” which literally means to ‘move upwards’. It is symbolic of the wish for our fortunes to rise and expand during the forthcoming year.

Products for the photo shoot were generously provided by SSF, an all-inclusive one-stop retail chain that offers all home furnishing goods from large furniture to small decorative accessories.