I asked my girls what Chinese New Year traditions they perform and what Chinese New Year meant to them and these were the things they came up with:-
1. Kota Bharu! – we go home to Kota Bharu every Chinese New Year for about a week to spend some quality time with the Hubs’s almost 80 year old folks.
2. Cycling! – Because my in-laws in Kota Bharu have a huge garden, the girls get to cycle non-stop every single day that we are there. They are so much city deprived children that the moment we arrive at Kong-Kong’s house, they don’t even bother entering the house to drop off their bags or to have a drink but instead run to the bicycles and start cycling away. They are nuts!!!
3. Ang Pows! – Ever since I told them that I used to fill Ang Pows with Nana when I was a kid and that they were memorable moments, they have fought to help me fill my yearly Ang Pows. They did quite a great job this year and it was T2’s first time helping with the Ang Pows too. I had a great team going. T2 separated the different Ang Pows whilst T1 had to do the math to separate the Ang Pows for the different people. Then T2 would fill the relevant Ang Pows and T1 would check each and every Ang Pow and do quality control followed by sealing them all. They had a blast.
4. Lots of People and Noise Visiting Ama! (why Ama and not Kong-Kong? Or both? Who knows….maybe it’s because Ama does all the cooking and work, haha). – On the 2nd day of the CNY, it is within our Chinese New Year traditions that the entire family of Ama visit our home in Kelantan. That is when I bring out all my Ang Pows and the figures rise each year as they have more and more babies!
5. CNY food! – T1 names them like a machines gun…..nasi dagang, nasi kerabu, laksam Kelante, pulut bakar, roti jala, murtabak raja, mee siam, roti canai, satay Kelantan, ayam percik, nasi rempah, apple pie, chocolate cake, jelly cake, sponge cake, rainbow layered cake, layered cake, jam tarts, coconut cookies, peanut cookies, cornflake cookies, kuih bangkit, kuih bakul……ahhhh, Chinese New Year traditions indeed.
6. Kota Bharu Activities! – Flying kites, going to the beach, visiting Pengkalan Kubur for coffee and shopping, decorating Ama’s house with Ang Pows, loud Chinese New Year music, visiting the old kampung house by the river, visiting the temple, praying to ancestors with the joss sticks, seeing Aunty Cheng again (who flies back once a year from the US), sleeping in the same room as Mama and Dada, watching TV (hahaha, no TV in KL), playing with dogs, gardening, swimming in the garden……and etc.
7. Buy new Cheong Sams! – we have been getting them a new set of Cheong Sam or Sam Fu every year but this year, we chose to be more practical as in the previous years, they would only wear their Cheong Sams once. ONCE! What a waste of money. So this year, we got them oriental tops and T-Shirts instead. Haha! Talk about being stingy and practical. At least they can wear the oriental designed T’s over and over till they grow out of it!
8. So this year, we are on the hunt for sparklies……and as always, we will be on the lookout for as many lion dances as we can fin to add to our Chinese New Year traditions. Oh, and I am making the girls bend onto their knees and serve us tea AND wishing us first thing in the morning with their hands together if they want their Ang Pows. Have to give them something to get excited about bright and early.
What are your Chinese New Year traditions? It would be nice for us to have a unique Chinese New Year tradition but I have not yet thought of one since we share so many special moments together already. I’m sure I’ll get it when it comes. I will go ask my Dad. He’s good with Chinese History.
Thank you, Hannah, for bringing up the subject of Chinese New Year Traditions *heart*
Bring it on, 2014. Yeeeeeeee HaaaaaAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
Gong Xi Fa Chai to all you fabulous readers who follow this blog. May the gallant Golden horse gallop you into your most amazing year yet.
**************************************************************************Who is Mamapumpkin?
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