It is that time of the year again where we binge excessively and celebrate the most important period of the year for the Chinese community.
Prior to the actual holidays, we will have numerous reunion dinners with various groups of relatives and family members. This is a time of catching up with one another over a meal of good food with our elders and to look forward to the passing into another new year, another new Zodiac sign – the year of the pig for 2019.
I had a record 4 reunion dinners this year and 2 were over steamboat meals where we cook our dinner in real time over a boiling pot, stuffing ourselves with delicious meats, seafood and vegetables. The other 2 were in restaurants where they served CNY set menus.
I treasure these moments of togetherness and will never dream of taking an overseas vacation during this holiday to escape from this period of quality family times. As our elders’ age another year, they constantly look forward to the generational gathering to have visits from the newest and youngest additions to the family.
For the first 2 days of the CNY holidays, it is more home visitations to the parents and grandparents, to pay our respects to them to wish them health and prosperity. Over-eating and gaining weight is the norm here.
It is also our chance to take group photos to remind ourselves of the yearly get together and to reflect on past photos of the annual gatherings. Kids get their red packet AngPows from the married couples as a reward for their greetings and well wishes.
This is a reminder to all of us that another year has passed, that we should count our blessings and treasure our loved ones, especially the seniors who have made it possible for us to live a better life and to bless the next generation that will carry on these traditions into the future.
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