Sunday, January 26, 2014

THE REUNION DINNER

The countdown to the Lunar New Year has begun. This year there are so many excellent videos to watch to get you in the mood for the festivities. Pity that most of the better ones are actually commercials. So to share them is to help promote their brand. You can view some of them on Seniorsaloud Facebook page.

Here's one short 15 minute video clip written and directed by Anthony Chen, who recently won the Golden Horse Best New Director award for his debut full-length feature movie 'Ilo Ilo'. That's Taiwan's equivalent of the Oscars.



Footnote:

For readers unfamiliar with the reunion dinner, it is a tradition for families celebrating the Lunar New Year to gather for this dinner on the eve of the first day of the new year. Adult children will return to the ancestral home to partake of the feast laid out on the dining table. Each dish is selected for the auspicious name that signifies prosperity, good health or longevity.

Yee sang or raw fish (usually salmon slices) salad is a must. Everyone gets to mix and toss the ingredients while saying aloud auspicious wishes for the new year. The higher you toss, the higher your chances of having your wishes come true, never mind the mess that's left on the table!

Family photos of children in their Chinese New Year finery are a good reminder of how fast the years have gone by. Here are a couple from my family album.

Reiya and Max with their mom, Chinese New Year 2009
The four cousins, Reiya and Max with Hana and Allie and their grandma, CNY 2013. How fast the children have grown!
From the family album 2010: my mom and all her red CNY must-haves

More family photos to come as we celebrate Chinese New Year 2014, the Year of the Horse, on 31 January.

Here's a video of how one Chinese Malaysian family celebrates Chinese New Year, with the matriarch of the family, Gina Liu, sharing her recipe for Nyonya curry chicken, a traditional dish for her family's reunion dinner.