Since I’ve posted Dana’s fond memories of the our CNY celebration in Malaysia, I reckon I should also post up mine. Here are some reasons why CNY is my FAVORITE holiday in the year:
1. Spring is in the air – There are fresh blooms everywhere and all things are renewed. Everyone rushed to spring-clean, to redecorate – homes are given fresh coat of paint, new pillows, bedsheets, cushion covers are bought, new clothes and shoes worn… Families open their doors to welcome relatives and guests into their homes; to usher in the start of the Lunar New Year as one entity.
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Nothing livens up the room like a bunch of fresh blooms… |
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Traditional CNY decor greets you in every house you visit! |
2. Families from far and near gather to reconnect; to rekindle the ties of kinship that bond us as one big extended family. Growing up, I was taken care by my maternal Grandmother so I was (and still is) very close to my aunts, uncles and cousins. Every CNY, when I see everyone gather together under one roof, I just feel so…at home…This is my family!
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The family just keeps multiplying each year! |
3. Tis’ the season of feasting! Not Turkeys and Christmas stollens…but homemade Ngoh Hiangs, Peppery Pig Stomach Soup, Grandma’s Chicken Curry, Mom’s Longan Red Date Ginko Nut Dessert…Of course the Bah Kwa, Pineapple Tarts, Kueh Bangkits, Cashew Nut Cookies and other CNY snacks…Guess I’m still very much an Asian at heart? Eating these simple fare makes me feel full in the tummy and fuzzy in my heart…
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Sampling of what was served this CNY at my mum’s house: Pork Satays… |
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Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Winter Bamboo Shoots |
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An assortment of Fried Finger Food – Chinese style! |
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Yummy Yee Fu Noodles – cooked by Yours Truly! |
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Rainbow Fruit Kebabs – a hit with young and old, gone in a flash! |
4. There are plenty of joyful conversations (mostly around the dining table)…you exchange handshakes, receive words of blessings from your elders and do it in return to bless the next generation…You get the opportunity to catch up with the lives of those whom you care about. These are my family, I wish I can see them more during the year but life in Singapore is just so hectic…So CNY is THE occasion to meet everyone again…
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My young cousin Zachary… |
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And his brother Jeremy… |
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My soon-to-be-wed cousin Yvonne and her fiance Jackie… |
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My Tua Kim and her son (my cousin) Alex… |
5. Dana gets to play with other little people! As an only child, she yearns for the company of little friends so at family gatherings like these, guess who’s the happiest?
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Looking chic in her Cheongsam…but excuse the cros as she was at the playground 🙂 |
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Dana with her little uncle…Yes these are my cousins, making them Dana’s uncles! |
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The rose among the thorns… |
As I grow older, I become increasingly sentimental…I cherish family unity togetherness more than ever…partly because I’ve come to realise that despite the differences, the family is a safe harbour from which you can seek refuge from the ordeals and disappointments of life. I feel a tiny little tinge of sadness at the conclusion of yet another CNY and it is my prayer that my beloved grandma (who turns 86 next month) will enjoy many more years of happy reunions with all us, her descendants.
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An spontaneous shot with my family (and this is only HALF of us)! |

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