The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No, Christmas wasn't exactly what I had in mind although it is one of my favourite festivals.

My birthday? That's probably a close second/third.

It's the Chinese New Year !

It never really occurred to me to be THE new year, especially because our lives are planned according to that one universal calendar where January 1st is the accepted first day of the new year. But this festival has always had a special standing in my heart that makes it stand out from the rest.

A lantern at a temple on CNY eve

Crane origami; not sure of the link between this paper crane and CNY but hey it's purty

And then there's this red thing that I love but am not sure about

To begin, I LOVE the CNY tunes that I've heard make people cringe or avoid malls.

Sure, there's lots of unnecessarily loud clanging and firecracker sounds but that's all part of its charm. When I hear it I'm instantly in a good-ADHD-jumping mood and I can already imagine the visits to the relatives' for ang paos, sharing sweet treats and drinks, loud conversations and laughter, what's not to love? And hey, aren't the dolled up little girls in these videos just precious? 财神到 (God of Prosperity's Here) *yayyyyyyyyyyyy*

But there are always classics that exude whatever grace and tenderness the season holds 春风吻上我的脸 (The Spring Wind Kissed My Face)

And if I were to reminisce, every first night of the CNY when the relatives on my dad's side come over for the huge first night feast thing, after having their fill but before gathering for a gamble, I'm always seated at the piano with my dad, his sisters and their little grandchildren all around me; I play accompaniment to Chinese classics as they belt them out one after another. Those times I grow concerned about the amount of spit that settles into my hair as they passionately serenade and the little curious fingers that play around with the piano and its cover which could potentially maim me but only when I think about how I won't be doing that this year it gets to me.

Who doesn't love a hungry baby gnawing on some red packet?

Errbody wants a piece of that ivory

More of the little angels

And then, perhaps not the most obvious although the season is all about spring and how everything comes back anew, you gotta love the flowers. Enough said.

Then there are the laughter filled, family reunion dinners that are characteristically part of Chinese culture. And if it isn't a room in a home or a restaurant hall filled with loud obnoxious chatter, it probably isn't the season I'm talking about here. And don't get me started on the dishes that caters mainly to carnivores.

'Yee sang', a combination of pickles, nuts, crackers and usually salmon slices
The point of this dish is when you gather for dinners, you stand together around this and start to toss the ingredients together with your chopsticks as you say (shout, especially when you're with your playfully competitive cousins) good wishes for yourself and those you love
The process is called 'lou sang'

Prawn crackers and 'acar', pickled vegetables

'Yok kon' or 'bak kwa', depending on the dialect you choose to say it in, are sweet, marinated, thin slabs of meat barbecued to reddish brown, greasy perfection
Non Chinese friends have described these as tasting like jerky

The aftermath of a 'lou sang'

And then there's the 'thrill' of playing host.

Every year, whether true or false, when your parents' friends come over for one of the many parties you throw, you're bound to hear that you've grown taller or lost weight. If you've in fact gained some, they probably just won't bring weight up at all.

Maybe it's just me but I always enjoyed putting on that smile on top of the already cute outfit you've spent ages picking out, offering hospitable greetings and cold drinks amid the hot sunny weather and checking to see whose kids have had puberty paid a visit to.

Albeit extremely tiring on the mind and body afterwards, the feeling of being told you've thrown a good party is worth the process.

Card games of a non-gambling nature with the kids while the adults fork out money for the real deal over beer

Firecrackers; always something to look forward to. More like something to light and then run from

Family portraits (cousins)

And of course there's always the candid version aided by the playful uncle

Mid-hosting sisters photo

The visits are also one of my favourite parts of the celebration.

You get to appreciate other people's efforts they put in for the new year, be it the pastries they put out or red decorations. And of course again there are the compliments. I'm a sucker for compliments.

All dressed up and ready to hit the homes on the planned visiting route !

With who I believe is correctly referred to as my cousin first removed who apparently is a mini me

Daddy with a baby

Mummy with the same baby

Charmaine posing according to my instructions
The reflected sunlight aided that 'smize'

Jenny allowing me a photo of her pretty braid and back

Janet beaming for me in her Cheongsam mid-visit

Char and I in some hair-whipping action while in demure Cheongsams

And that's just an excerpt of why CNY trumps all other yearly events for me.

When else do such cozy, vibrant, sumptuous interactions and celebrations come along?

Happy Chinese New Year !