CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR~!!

Welcome back to UEA for the spring semester 2012! It has been a great 4 weeks of Christmas holiday break! Some of you, including myself, would be pretty much very busy with work and assignments due within these first 2 weeks of the spring term! But not to fear because the CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL is coming your way!!!

The Chinese Lunar New Year also known as the spring festival is based on the cycle of the moon (12 zodiac animals). This year it falls next Monday, 23rd January 2012. This year is the year of the dragon. :) Every year when this festival comes around the corner, every household would be busy preparing food and other activities to welcome this new year and all families will once again come together and reunite to celebrate this joyous occasion. I'm sure all of those who celebrate this Chinese New Year no matter where they are from, have different ways of celebrating the new year. As I'm an overseas Chinese from Brunei, there are a few differences of how we Bruneian Chinese celebrate the new year. Of course we must still not forget the traditional activities and food that is served during this festival.

The Chinese New Year Eve is the night before the 1st Day of the Lunar New Year. Families get together and host a renunion dinner, and usually 8-10 dishes are prepared and served. These reunion dishes represent luck, health, longetivity and prosperity. Like in my home, we usually serve whole steamed fish which symbolises the wish for abundance in the coming  new year with a good beginning and a good ending for the coming year. There are also other dishes, including:
Pork Legs in Vinegar,
 

Lo Han Chai (Mixed Monk Vegetables),

Steamed Herbal Chicken in Lotus Leaf

and Braised Abalone with Brocolli.

As for desserts well, there are many kinds of chinese new year desserts. My family usually have local desserts like durian, mixed fruits, mandarin oranges and sago with honeydew.

BUT One of the most important one, not to be missed would be the Sticky Rice Cake (Nian Gow). If you don't have this as your dessert then its not CHINESE NEW YEAR. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.



And last but not least, after having such a festive New Year Reunion Dinner, its time to play with fireworks. This is pretty much the same everywhere in the world. Everyone in my family especially all the kids, would be outside the house playing fireworks!



But its not the end of the night yet!! There's one last thing that every kid, teen, single adult would want to take home with them by the end of the night and that would be CHINESE NEW YEAR PACKET FILLED WITH MONEY!! xD



Till next time!

Samantha
UEA International Ambassador Brunei