Happy Chinese New Year!

Quite a few asked me last night over MSN, "How do you spend your CNY? What do you do?"

Err.. I don't know? The normal way of way of celebrating? How do we differ? I don't know. The visitings? Family get-togethers? House hoppings with friends? The hehe(s) and haha(s) and updates bout their life?

And oh, I bet this one thing/tradition that we observe doesn't happen to you all. Tea serving. Anyone?

Since young, Mun Wah and I were taught to honour our parents by this tea serving ceremony. Basically, we have to get down on our knees, serve a cup of Chinese tea to our parents one by one and greet them "Gong Hei Fatt Choi" or whatever Cantonese CNY idioms you know. And they will take a sip and then give us our angpaos as a token of blessing. This happens in the morning of the first day of CNY.

The not-very-Chinese Mun Sheung would westernise us. Now, we don't even need to serve tea and yet, we'd still get our red packets. Uh huh.

Then mom would cook vegetarian food (basically mixed of all the mushrooms' family -- it's like the mushroom's annual gathering as well before they end up in our digestive tract?) for us all in the morning. Oh well. It's just a tradition la. And as time progresses and when we knew Jesus about 5 years back, we still observe this tradition (because we're still Chinese!) but mom doesn't offer food to the idols anymore. Now, besides that annual-mixed-mushrooms dish, we have side dishes like steamed chicken or bbq chicken wings and whatnot. No more full vegetarian meal you see.

My dad is the youngest son in his family. Somehow when it comes to food (my mom is a good cook!), dad's siblings would come and visit us on the first day of CNY and help themselves with this scrumptious meal. Mom's siblings would come too. So, as year passes, mom would have to cook even more. You know la, these uncles and aunties would come along with their children and all. It's so exciting just to host them again.


Today, I woke up around 12pm only. And while washing up, I can hear doorbells and everyone is here already! OMG. Mom hasn't even cooked yet. So, I've to be a good host and entertain them first la.

Okay, maybe I SHOULD be a good host now.

Happy CNY everyone, have a great time ahead and plenty of H₂O please!