Chinese New Year

For the Chinese, this year is the year of the ox. Yet another new year has arrived. all families, not excluding mine, have prepared much decorations for the new year. We managed to do a facelift for our house. We filled the house with red as red symbolise luck and prosperity. Other ways of bringing good luck is to open windows and/or doors. Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it is believed to sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.
Chinese New Year has had influence to many countries, including Macau, Indonesia, Philippines, and even Thailand. This special occasion is commonly celebrated by reunion dinners. Family members will fly back to their countries to celebrate this festive season. My relatives from overseas also travelled back to Singapore to celebrate. We ate reunion dinners and also did the 'lou hei'. Lou Hei’ is the tossing of ‘Yu Sheng’, a colourful salad platter of raw fish and crunchy vegetables, to symbolize luck and prosperity. It is believed that the higher you toss the salad, the more luck you will have in the coming year. We also received many 'hangbaos' (red packets) as it represents good luck. I had a enjoyable time tasting new year snacks and meeting up with my relatives. Though this year's celebration seemed shorter than last time's, i was really thrilled. I had a magnificent time visiting my relatives and chatting with them. I really had a ball of a time. I hope you enjoyed your Chinese New Year as much.