Chinese New Year is one of Malaysia’s greatest festivals around the year. Chinese stands up for Malaysia's second largest ethnicity which therefore explained the reason behind the great cerebration that we have here.
It has been 2 years since I have left my home town to go abroad working. Although then, I'm lucky because for the past 2 years I still have my lovely darling to spend with.
This year is the year of a Rat. I'm not sure why they call it rat rather than mouse because I always have the impressions that rat = pest.... he he he... but anyway, that is not the whole point. It is 2008 and in chinese character 8 = fatt means prosperity/richness. I wish everyone would make more this year than previous years.
This year, we have both reunion luncheon and dinner - Lunch with nuclear family and Dinner with extended families. It is also the first time that we have “Yee San”... I guess it is not really Foochow's tradition of having it.... or would it have been lost whilst my ancestor travel from China... I don't really know... ... Well, it is a great experience doing "Lou-San"... Mixing the Yee San together with family members... The act was believed to be able to bring more luck and prosperity for the upcoming year...
We always go back to our grandparents place for the reunion dinner. We have lots to chat about on this special occasion. Before the dinner begun, we usually started it off with fire crackers... The rounding sounds of the firecrackers is to celebrate the new year with sounding joy. Although for some of us, it may sounds like an alarm to warn us that we are getting another year older... As for my family, we usually have a buffet-style dinner, we get our foods and then we sat down or stand with our fellow relatives as we reflected on the meaning full days that we have spent for the past one year... Nothing is more comforting than seeing the cheerful face of our old grandparents...
Chinese New Year Eve's night is always the most fun night of all the nights of the New Year as you get to see beautiful flowers blooms on the nightly sky as the fireworks lighted up the dark sky when the clock strikes twelve.
On the first day of Chinese New Year, we will normally dressed in Red as we believe that is the lucky colour. We also receive red packets from our family and relatives - well, of course after we have greeted them with great respect and jolly wishes. One will only stop receiving red packets when they are married, therefore, married after the new year and not before then...
It is also during this special occasion, family and friends from abroad come back to their hometown. Great deals were discovered during the visits to our friend and relatives home. i.e. their first born, their vintage collection of turntables, their birthday... and so on. We usually serve our friends with cakes, sweets and drinks.
Only on the third day of the new year that most of the hawkers stall are opened for business. It is such a memorable thing to do, meeting up with your old mates having hometown cuisines... just like good old days when we were all still secondary school students. Its really great to see those faces that haven't been seen for really long time such as Tuong Thai and Kitty... Nice to see you again. Hope we'll stay in touch
but anyway, that is not the whole point. It is 2008 and in chinese character 8 = fatt means prosperity/richness. I wish everyone would make more this year than previous years.
- Lunch with nuclear family and Dinner with extended families. It is also the first time that we have “Yee San”... I guess it is not really Foochow's tradition of having it.... or would it have been lost whilst my ancestor travel from China... I don't really know... 
... Well, it is a great experience doing "Lou-San"... Mixing the Yee San together with family members... The act was believed to be able to bring more luck and prosperity for the upcoming year...
As for my family, we usually have a buffet-style dinner, we get our foods and then we sat down or stand with our fellow relatives as we reflected on the meaning full days that we have spent for the past one year... Nothing is more comforting than seeing the cheerful face of our old grandparents...
