Yuan Xiao Jie

The Chinese Lunar New Year is also known as the "Spring Festival" marking the end of winter. It actually last for fifteen days. If we were to follow its actual tradition, everyday has a certain significance. For example, on the 7th day, it is known as Renri - Man's birthday (the common man's birthday) as it was an ancient Chinese belief that Man was God's creation.  

I find today's Lunar New Year much watered down and losing it significance and tradition. As children, we used to get to wear new clothes and shoes or eat better food only during the new year so there is a sense of anticipation of an event to look forward to but now people can wear new clothes and shoes any day when they like or eat meat a few times a day. Besides, it is quieter without firecrackers. The only good thing is that the sun has come out strong in our three seasons of hot, hotter and hottest. The remaining good thing is that while it is warm or hot, we are getting a lovely breeze in the mornings and evenings.

So what do we do during the Lunar New Year? Visit relatives and friends or even try to get close to canine ones.

You learn to forgive or ask for forgiveness and the Golden Retriever is the most forgiving of them all.

You may not realise it but the actual day to start tossing and eating your "Yusheng" (raw fish salad) for "wealth and prosperity" in an act known as Lo Hei in Cantonese is on the 7th day but for commercial reason, they sell them everyday. You have to toss it high, as high as possible so that your wealth, health, luck, money and fortune and everything good will also go high. That is why it is always a messy aftermath. At restaurants, waitresses whisper sweet nothings to all at the table with very meaningful Chinese sayings as she prepares each item on the plate of Yusheng.

In the meantime, whatever oranges you gave, you get back a pair in exchange for greetings of good health, prosperity and success. So in reality, you only need two oranges, may be a few more just in case and at the end of the new year period, we will be left with a carton of oranges that we can consume some each day and in danger of orange poisoning.

In between, more Lo Hei, many more meals later and with the tonnes of new year cookies you would have consumed, I would advocate that you stay of any health screening for the time being. This is also a traditional time for Chinese to sit down and play card games. A nicer way to put it than gambling. That was how it was done before the casinos came.

Finally, on the fifteenth day which we call Yuan Xiao Jie, we mark the last day of the Lunar New Year. Here it is also called "Chap Goh Mei" by the Hokkien and Teochew meaning "fifteen night". Traditionally, it was celebrated with a Lantern Festival where sweet rice dumplings made from glutinous rice are eaten.

Some Chinese in certain countries also celebrate the last day as a different version of Valentine's day. Singles - male and female will go out in the evening to mingle in the crowd hoping to find a life partner. It was said that single women would write down their contact on mandarin oranges and then throw it into a river and single man would collect them and the taste of the oranges is an indication of possible love - sweet or sour. Fortunately, they do not throw bitter gourds. Today, people just use blue tooth.

I have also learned of another version where single ladies will be allowed out on their own to celebrate the festival on the streets and when they find some guy they like, they would drop their handkerchief for the guy to pick up so that they can get to know each other. This is a problem here as people will use only tissue packets to reserve seats at food centres.

This night you will see a full moon. How romantic with the full moon and the old ways of doing things like throwing oranges and dropping handkerchiefs. This is the original Valentine's Day and you save on flowers that can go into hundreds of dollars. Why do that when you can use your overstocked oranges which will no longer be in fashion soon and throw them into rivers. Brilliant!

Beware, the wolves would be out in numbers! You can hear them howling! Anyway, let me give you the local traditional cheers - HUAT AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!