MELAKA: A prominent Baba Nyonya community member is set to usher in the Year of the Horse with a RM20,000 fireworks display on the eve of the Lunar New Year, continuing a Peranakan tradition his family here has upheld for generations.
Mike Thein said the fireworks, which arrived on Monday (Jan 26), were purchased through contributions from all his family members and will be set off at an open area near his ancestral home in Pulau Gadong here during the annual reunion dinner.
“On Chinese New Year’s Eve, we will light up the skies of Pulau Gadong with a spectacular display,” he said on Tuesday (Jan 27)
Thein, who manages the Seafarer Restaurant in Batang Tiga here, said the family will be celebrating at their rumah abu (ancestral home), a central setting for Peranakan Chinese rituals and gatherings.
“This tradition has existed since the days of our forefathers,” he said, adding that the display is part of how the family welcomes the new year and honours continuity.
Thein said he had obtained all the necessary permits and would be inviting foreign guests as well as the local community to watch the display.
“My family doesn’t mind spending on fireworks to preserve our traditions and to usher in the year of the Fire Horse, which symbolises dynamic energy, change and opportunities,” he said.
As with many Baba Nyonya households, the eve of the Lunar New Year will be marked by a reunion dinner served at the ‘tok panjang’, the long banquet table that anchors Peranakan Chinese family celebrations.
Meanwhile, the first day of the Lunar New Year, known as ‘Sambut Kepala Tahun’, will begin with a customary offering at the family altar, starting with the first pot of rice cooked for the year.
“The first batch of rice cooked will be placed at the altar, shaped like a cone and garnished with bunga siantan and spring onions.
“This represents growth and continuity,” he said.
For the food preparation, Thein said, is both communal and ceremonial, with female family members beginning early to prepare ‘rempah’, the spice paste fundamental to Baba Nyonya cooking.
"The rempah will be used to prepare dishes like Pongteh, Itek Tim and Ayam Buah Keluak.
"For us, celebrating the Lunar New Year is very auspicious, and we need to offer our departed ancestors Baba Nyonya dishes or baking delicacies on the eve,” he added.
Thein said a ritual known as ‘sembahyang abu’ will also be held, using a makeshift altar and an invitational method of welcoming ancestral spirits home for the celebration.
"We use joss sticks to invite our ancestors back home during the celebration,” he said.
He said that Baba Nyonya families are also particular about the symbolic act of welcoming the Lunar New Year through the home itself.
“Once the main door is closed on the eve, it will not be opened until 7am the next morning to usher in the Chinese New Year,” he said.
Thein said the celebrations will conclude with the ‘sohjah’, when younger family members pay respects to elders.
“This is how we show filial piety and begin the Chinese New Year together as a family,” he said.
