Lunar New Year

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all Chinese celebrating the auspicious festival
of Lunar or Chinese New Year.

The Lunar New Year was celebrated on February 9 this year.
This was the first day of the lunar calendar and signifies the
onset of Spring. The festival is celebrated from fifteen days ending
with Chap Goh Mei on February 23. This last day is the Chinese
version of Valentine's Day. Back in the old days in China, this
Chap Goh Mei would see maidens (unmarried girls) throwing
oranges into the river with the hope of marrying off well. No idea
whether it's still practised today.

A lot of merry-making takes place these fifteen days and dinners
will not be complete without the raw fish dish (Yee Sang) where
the dish made up of sliced raw fish (signifying abundance) and
other shredded vegetables is tossed high up with chopsticks.
The activity is termed 'Loh Sang' which literally translates to
being prosperous thus it is done with much fervour.

The seventh day is auspicious as to the Chinese community,
this is man's birthday so restaurants would be booked well
in advance.

Folks of Hokkien dialect would celebrate the ninth day praying
to the God of the Heaven. The prayer would start on the night
of the eighth day.

The Lunar New Year is a fun time especially for children as
there is plenty of food to eat and money to be collected from
the red packets distributed by adults - parents, grandparents,
aunts and uncles, other relatives and friends.

May the year of the Rooster bring you happiness, health and
wealth.