Tan (far left) makes it her family tradition to go for zodiac-themed clothes for the first day of Chinese New Year. Her mother Chan is seated (second from left). — Photos: JESSICA TAN
AS THE countdown to the Year of the Dragon enters its final week, Chinese households around the globe are abuzz with the hustle and bustle of preparations, from cleaning up their houses and putting up auspicious decorations to shopping and cooking up a storm for reunion dinner.
These are just some in the long list of things that Chinese typically do in the week preceding the Lunar New Year, to the 15th day after, when the celebration ends with Chap Goh Meh.
Other practices include setting off fireworks, wearing new clothes on the first day of the year, giving ang pow and holding open houses.
“Tradition will continue if we practise it. I think it is important that we pass it down to the younger generation for them to know their roots and culture,” says Aggy Chan, 67, grandmother to nine grandchildren, aged from two to 15 years old.
Even though many things about the celebration, she admits, are becoming simpler compared to how they were before, Chan says tradition gets the whole family to come together to reconnect, especially with those who return from overseas for the celebration.
General manager Leonard Heng, 42, says tradition and custom give us an identity, a sense of belonging and roots that we can rely on.
“While we keep our minds open and welcome new practices and modern habits, tradition is a way for us to express our heritage and identity to others,” he says.
Entrepreneur Loke Kah Peng, 44, adds: “These practices are important. They can help shape the roots of culture in the younger generation.”
“In a modern world, and in order to uphold our roots, we need to understand the significance of each practice and not to blindly believe it,” he says.
Heng, however, admits that he used to only follow what was told to him. “But I eventually learnt that there are reasons why we practise certain ways of life. That is why young parents should impart this and find ways to help the younger generation appreciate and value their own tradition,” he adds.
Lee (second from left) says her children enjoy house-visiting during Chinese New Year. — KYMBERLY LEE
Getting kids onboard
With children exposed to instantaneous information, some parents use technology to inculcate culture and tell their children about the origins of certain practices. Chan’s third child, Jessica Tan, for example, uses YouTube to introduce Chinese custom to her two sons, Tyler Yong, three, and Owen Yong, nine.
“I look for Chinese animation videos that narrate stories including the legend of Nian, the hideous beast that was said to feast on human flesh on new year’s day, as well as some celebratory songs,” says the 40-year-old public relations consultant who lives in Kuala Lumpur.
Tan says instead of just asking them to watch those videos, she would sit with them throughout to further explain to them, in age-appropriate manner, so they understand the stories.
“Tyler will imitate my expression when I repeat the stories to him after a few days,” she says, adding that she would also start conversations during meals to explain and share the importance of practices like reunion dinners, giving ang pow to the young and the symbolism of Mandarin oranges.
“They are beginning to understand some of the practices. Owen even asked me when to hang red clothes at our house’s entrance when I told him that it was time to spring clean and prepare for the new year,” Tan says.
Kymberly Lee, 38, also uses YouTube videos to teach her children – Raynese Hue, 8, and Rayden Hue, 12, – about the tales and legends surrounding the Lunar New Year.
“My children are very inquisitive and they like to ask questions. This is especially true for Rayden who will question almost every new information told to him,” she says.
The aesthetician continues: “Things are very different now. Those days, we just accept what was told to us by the elders. Now, the kids want to see and to be explained to; they don’t just listen and accept.”
“Thankfully, we now have the Internet that has an abundance of attractive, child-friendly videos to help tell these stories. Even as an adult, I find these YouTube videos interesting and engaging,” she adds.
Heng says tradition and custom give us an identity, a sense of belonging and roots. — LEONARD HENG
Breaking the barrier
Since she grew up in a Cantonese family that only took on basic traditions and custom, Lee does not have much problem preserving these practices.
“Ours are very simple, which make it easier for me to pass them down to my children. However, it is a bit of a challenge for the kids to grasp the different traditions between my family and my husband’s,” she adds.
Although she needs extra effort to integrate both families’ practices, Lee is set on making them her family’s, something that her children will pass on to their own offspring.
Chinese tradition, Tan adds, always focuses on togetherness and respect. “From spring cleaning and house visits to table manners and prayers and offerings to the ancestors, there are always elements of unity and togetherness,” she says.
Nevertheless, Tan admits that sometimes she finds it challenging to share and explain these to her sons. “It could be the language barrier; the kids go to English schools, and therefore they speak English more than their mother tongue at home,” she adds.
Thankfully, she says, a lot of traditional practices have been simplified today.
Chan agrees: “Most young parents don’t really know the traditional Chinese custom, and let their children learn about them from teachers in school,”
“If the children do not go to Chinese schools, it makes it even harder for them to learn about it,” she adds.
Chan says Chinese values can also be learnt through other means. “My grandchildren learn Chinese martial arts wushu, which teaches them self-discipline, integrity, respect and perseverance,” she adds.
Heng says there are many fun and creative ways to instil and nurture values. “While teaching children to make decorations like lanterns, it is good to explain the reasons behind the shape and colours,” he adds.
He also believes that the more one embraces the values of culture, the more he or she will come to appreciate the beauty inherent to the tradition.
New practices
“When I was young, women were required to wear cheongsam, while the men wore samfu, on the first day of the new year. But now, people just wear new clothes to symbolise a new beginning,” Chan says.
Jessica agrees. “Now, we wear clothes that bear the image of the new year’s zodiac animal, in different colours to differentiate the families.”
“Another new tradition that we have been practising is a pre-reunion meal, a big family lunch that is organised after the prayers, a few days before the new year,” she says.
For Lee, an annual tradition is the reunion dinner at her husband’s hometown in Raub, Pahang. “Since the celebration at my mother in-law's is rather quiet, we decided to have a non-traditional barbecue reunion dinner that is packed with fun activities for adults and children,” she says.
Lee says that while tradition may have evolved, the spirit of family ties and being together are still present each time Chinese New Year is celebrated.
Loke believes that maintaining certain practices – like having reunion dinners – help instil values in the younger generation to broaden their perspective on life and foster an appreciation for their roots.
In decades to come, some “new traditions” will come to represent the identity and roots of the new generation. “But as long as families and friends gather in the spirit of sharing and giving, these ‘new traditions’ will still serve their purpose,” Loke concludes.
