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New Year, New Hope

New Year, New Hope

Thursday, 11/02/2021

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There is a festival that is celebrated each year by over a billion people around the world. And its celebration this year is right around the corner.

Chinese New Year festival is celebrated by the Chinese people regardless of where they are, and they consider it as the most important festival.

To the Chinese people, a new year represents a new hope. A new year is the time to forget the past, be happy, be full of confidence, and wish that they can work even harder.

Chinese New Year festival has been celebrated every 1 January since 1912 in Gregorian Calendar. After 1949, the festival was also given another name, Chunjie, or Spring Festival.

Traditionally, celebration of Chunjie starts several days prior to the new year, with the most special time being the day before the new year, known as chuxi. Celebration continues until the 15th day, known as Yuanxiao jie.

During the festival, a few customs are practised. Words wishing good luck are pasted everywhere. People stay up during the night of the festival as a sign of appreciating time and praying for their parents’ longevity. Fireworks are lighted to chase off bad luck. And angpau, gift of money in red packets, are given to protect the young generation so they will be healthy and safe.

In addition, special food is served that symbolizes other meanings. Glutinous rice cakes, or kuih bakul in Malay, are traditional food that represent the future years. Compulsory fish dish that is not to be eaten completely signifies the remaining years. Jiaozi, when being kneaded, symbolizes meeting together, and its form, like an old coin, symbolizes good fortunes.

Another tradition that goes back to the old times is having Yusheng meal. Yusheng is pronounced like another similarly spelled word yusheng that means increased quantity. Therefore, Yusheng meal is considered a symbol of prosperity and good spirit.  

Main ingredients of Yusheng are sliced raw fish, usually salmon, variety of finely sliced vegetables, sauce, flavouring, and a few others. In the vegetarian version, raw fish is replaced with imitation fish, resembling salmon, made from soy.

Finely chopped peanuts are distributed well on top, signifying a house filled with gold and silver (jin yin man wu). Sesame seeds are sprinkled, symbolizing successful business (shengyi xinglong). So are crunchy biscuits, symbolizing gold everywhere (biandi huangjin). Sauce is poured on the whole dish to mean that everything is sweet (tian tian mi mi). And finally the dish is tossed up high in the air to represent the hope that everyone will be blessed with good fortunes and happiness.

This year, celebration of Chunjie will be quite different in Malaysia, because of the standard operating procedure (SOP) in the wake up the Covid-19 pandemic. It may not be possible to completely experience the essence of the celebration—gathering with family members, visiting each other, strengthening the bond. The big feast may only be attended by a maximum of 15 family members. Religious activities must abide by certain conditions. Many children are unable to come home.

However, there is no reason to let the pandemic dampen the spirit of Chunjie. Just as information and communication technology has changed the trend of conducting business transactions, it can also help in the celebration of traditional festivals during a time like this.

All the preparations to celebrate Chunjie can be made at the fingertips through online purchase, from buying new clothes to house decorations to groceries. For those children unable to come home, they can conveniently buy presents for their parents from an online store and have the presents delivered to the parents’ doorstep. Even angpau can be transferred to the recipients through online banking. Family members can share festive moments together via video calls even when some family members are thousands of kilometres away, as if everyone is sitting in the same room and eating at the same table.

Chunjie is the most important event to the Chinese people. It is the time for them to start improving their lives. It is the time for them to become closer to all family members.

Surely, Chunjie will be celebrated time and again, every year, by billions of people across the globe, from a generation to another.

 

Translated by

Corporate Communication Centre

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu

 

Original Malay version by

Dr Nurul Ain Chua Abdullah

Centre for Fundamental and Continuing Education

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu