A little more than halfway through the school year, another holiday has come to greet us: Chinese New Year. It is a time when families come together to have joyful reunions, and the celebration lasts for around 2 weeks. Fireworks light up the sky and the laughter of the people echo throughout the country, and all of it fills my soul with warmth.
This special event holds a cherished place in my heart, as my family goes all-out in celebrating the great fortune of the New Year. Every year, my family hires a Lion Dance performance at our house. According to a Chinese myth, a scary beast called the Nian devours humans, and in order to scare it away, people would wear a costume that resembles a lion. Loud clanging of symbols and drums with the loud crackles of fireworks accompany the costume, and this was what the Nian was believed to be scared of. Even though my family doesn’t believe in such stories, we still enjoy the act and the hard work put into the unique movements of the performers.
Besides the Lion Dance performances, my family hosts a ton of reunions with our cousins. These are usually the only times where I get to see them, as they are usually busy with their own lives. I love spending time with my cousins, as we all are very close to each other even if we don’t see each other often. They usually come to our house to play games like rummy or mahjong, and it is the only time where my parents allow me to gamble some of my money. We always love spending time together, and there isn’t ever a single dull moment when they are around.
The food is amazing. This is the time when all the Chinese New Year snacks are for sale and biscuits like kuih kapit or bahu-filled biscuits fill my house’s cabinets. Most of the time they are packed into small plastic see-through containers with a red lid on them. Yee-Sang is also very prevalent during these times, and it is basically a traditional dish where families get together to shout blissful words while throwing up the dish using chopsticks. It consists of biscuits, sesame seeds, carrots, radish, different spices, salmon, ginger, pickles, fruits, and anything else that wants to be added. My family loves ordering a suckling pig as well, and the crispiness of the skin always makes my mouth water.
Finally, to save the best for last, this is the time of the year to earn the most amount of money. There are red packets called “Ang Baos,” and they are given by relatives or friends. These packets contain money, and together with meeting lots of people on Chinese New Year, it is possible to collect quite a large amount altogether.
People also compare how many packets you get during the holiday, and my friend Braydon Lee (12) is an example of that by saying, “Hey Hugo, how many Ang Baos did you get? I got quite a few this month.”
Overall, Chinese New Year is filled with fun traditions, delicious food, and quality time with family. It is a celebration that gives me my most joyous moments, and I would never trade any other holiday for this one.
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