Chinese New Year- Your memories

[helen]

I have been invited to do a presentation at the Auckland Library - about Chinese New Year - and how it is celebrated.

I would love to hear how you celebrated Chinese New Year in the past, the meaning of it to you as a child, what you parents told you - eg no sweeping the floors at New Year in case the fortunes were swept away.

The Red Envelopes, the candy - all the things that invoke memories of Chinese New Year. What was the practice in China during the 50s and 60s. Did anything change when you grew up?

Personally, I have little memory of Chinese New Year as I grew up in a small town, with no other Chinese. Just remember the red envelopes, and no sweeping, mushrooms and abalone dish. New clothes.

[helen]

I have newspaper articles about how the men celebrated CNY early last century, and have some information from local Kiwi Chinese; and some recent migrant stories from Maylaysia. Do you have a story to tell?

[helen]

I have had a response from a woman growing up in a Christian household. They didn't celbrate CNY because of their belives. Is this how it was with your family - or did your family celebrate anyway?

[laohuaqiao]

This is not so much memories, since it's still a tradition practiced in my family. The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner 團年飯 is still the most important dinner of the year. All siblings return to my parents house for the family reunion dinner.

For years, I have taken New Year's Day off from work and, to make the day meaningful, either organize a party or have dimsum with friends.

[baksha]

As a kid growing in SF mid1950's, Chinese New Years met cleaning the floors, gettting a haircut, watching Mom make her regional handmade fried sweet and savory dumplings and sweet sesame crescent cookies filled with minced coconut and chopped roasted peanuts.

When guests came to visit, I would help serve tea and crescent cookies. The guest (a village "auntie" who was not blood related would bring some tangarine and orange (odd numbers) and there would be a red envelope for good luck. She and Mom would chat and us kids would receive red envelopes with quarters (25 cents). My mom would recipocate red envelopes for auntie's kids. Then, before the auntie left, mom would take out a few tangarines & oranges and recipocate with her own red envelopes. Mom said it was for mutual good wishes for a happy new year. A week later, Mom and I would pay a visit at the auntie or some other auntie's home.

baksha

[helen]

Thanks for the above information. I would appreciate a few more comments. eg - did being a Christian deter your family from celebrating? How did you celebrate - what country and what age were you?

Here's the newspaper article about the presentation -

www.theaucklander.co.nz/living/news/chinese-new-year-explained/3937001/

Now I have to work hard at outting this together.

[baksha]

Hi again,

In our family, religion didn't play heavily into the equation in our family living in San Francisco, CA. USA. My memories of the village aunties visits were when I was under ten years old. My memories of that time were pre1960's and there weren't alot of families being re-united in the U.S. By 1965, expanded US Immigration to allow Chinese immigrants from different countries rather than a set quota of all Chinese immigrants.

Anyway, for my parents and other Chinese in the community were sending their children to several language schools in SF Chinatown which were at the churches. Monday to Friday language school (from 4-6PM the lower grades; 6PM - 8 PM for the upper classes). Some even had English as a second language for young wives who didn't work during the day. I never felt pressured by my parents or the church to become a christian. Our minister was very congenial and told stories with life lessons. Upon interviewing my parents more recently, I found out that they'd both been baptised but not church goers.

Actually, I didn't realize that my Mom was doing some ancestral offerings at home until my Dad passed away in the mid1980's. Then, she practiced ancestral offerings with incense etc.

Prior to Dad's passing, Mom would always place plate of the freshly fried dumplings on a certain table in the livingroom in front of her chinese figurines. She never explained about her practice because she didn't light incense or bow. I think she wanted to appease her tradition and not offend anyone.

Anyway, we celebrated both Chinese and American holidays.

got to go now!

[chak]

Do you think this photo is from New Years? There were quite a few similar ones, different groupings of people around that table so it must some kind of "occasion"....

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[Doug 周]

Raised in my Americanized family in the 1950's after the Korean War, Chinese New Year was just an occasion to go out to eat. If it passed without recognition, it was not a problem. Some of the customs and rituals became emphasized more in the 1960's-1970's, with the rise of ethnic awareness brought on by the 1965 LA Watts riots. Before that time, assimilation was more important.

My wife is Hong Kong born, although she came to the USA at age 5. She carries more of the tradition, emphasizing the meals, what types of food to eat, whether or not to say or do certain things, adding certain decoratons the house, etc. I am glad that my kids were brought up exposed to those customs.

[laohuaqiao]

Chinese New Year tradition is full of symbolisms. It is believed that whatever happens during New Year's period bears omen for the rest of the year.

Thus, family members must be harmonious, no fighting nor arguments among siblings.

A must-have dish on the dinner table is fish because "to have fish" 有魚 sounds like "to have extra" 有餘 or plentiful.

Rice is the main staple of southern Chinese. Pre-New Year shopping must include rice to keep the container holding rice full.

Children learn early to never ask during this period "Mom, are there any ______(name any food) left?" Because the response would always "Of course there are", accompanied by a long stare.

[laohuaqiao]

Chak,
The items on the table are consistent with the New Year's, the box of candy or sweets (糖果 "sugared fruit") and the arrangement of oranges with possibly tangerine, which sounds like "auspicious" in Taishanese, Cantonese or Mandarin, on top.

[chak]

I wish I could figure out that man's name. He is my grandma's brother, an Ng, but that's all I know. And, I really wish I could see those pictures on the table however I am very happy to have your opinion as to the occasion, Laohuaqiao. Thanks!