Chinese New Year - Family Reunion Dinner

Hi,

The year of Ox is just around the corner and the family reunion dinner is typically held on the eve of Chinese New Year which falls on 26 January this year.

We have ours a week earlier so as to accommodate everyone availability as some of us have to work night shift on the eve or other commitments.

We have a pot luck family reunion instead.

I got my Filipino housekeeper to cook 'bee hoon' noodle and chicken chop for our contribution.

I also bought 'Yu Sheng' ( or also known as raw fish ) for 'loh hei' from one of the popular tim sum restaurant.

For my foreign friends, this is a plate of salad with raw fish like salmon to be mixed with oil, peanuts etc......

Family members gather around this plate and using chopsticks mix the ingredients and lift them up in the process and make wishes like promotion, good exam. results, good health, etc.... for the new year.

Then each one of us will take some on a plate and eat it.

This dish was actually invented by a few chefs for commercial purposes but it has become a home tradition too in Malaysia and Singapore, especially for businessmen.

The next gathering will be the 1st day of the Chinese New Year to pay respects to the elders; eg our parents or grandparents and other members of the family.

The important practice is to give money in a red packet, 'Ang Pow' to those who are not married including adult bachelors and spinsters too!

So Happy Family Reunion to all of you involved in this practice.....

David