Chinese New Year - 2017

 

Chinese and ethnic Chinese celebrate this special festival referred to as Chinese or Lunar New Year. In China is it called Spring Festival. The New Year's Eve dinner is called "reunion dinner", and is considered to be the most important meal of the year as we end the year of the monkey and begin the year of the rooster.

After 15 years working overseas in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines and United Kingdom, we came home in 1997 for retirement. The first few years we used to host the reunion dinner. As age catches up with us, our son and family have taken over this responsibility and we go to their home to celebrate this important event.

Our daughter with her family will celebrate the reunion dinner at her husband’s family home.

The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month and in the Chinese calendar it ends on the 15^th which is called Lantern Festival.

 On the first day, the oldest and most senior members are visited. The visits serve to strengthen family ties. Bài nián refers to both, pay a New Year's call as well as 'wishing somebody a Happy New Year'.

In Singapore and Malaysia, the custom is for the visitor to bring two mandarin oranges and offer them to the host or hostess, using both hands as a mark of respect. The host accepts the fruit and reciprocates with two mandarin oranges – in other words exchanging gifts of blessings.

Our home will be open to visitors, no appointment is needed, so don’t  be surprised you might be meeting many strangers!

You may stay as long as you like, at the same time, feel free to excuse yourselves as you may have other homes to visit.

All are welcome. A blessed Lunar New Year.