Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Gong Xi Fa Cai to you!

Its getting exciting for me. Today will be my last day at the office and from tomorrow onwards, I will start my unofficial Chinese New Year celebrations ... yippee!

I already have plans lined up for 5 out of the 15 lunar new year celebrations and I am sure there are more to come! We have lots of visiting to do and also hosts lots of family and friends at our home too.

Our celebrations start on the eve of the new year whereby Chinese around the world would hosts a REUNION DINNER with their family. And as a married woman, it is customary to spend this dinner with her in-laws. My in-laws have a pretty extended family. There are 10 siblings on my father-in-laws side of the family and we all get together for the reunion dinner each year. With each of them having their own children and grandchildren, there are at least 100 of us at that dinner ... large group huh? If I remember correctly, we had 120 last year *smile*. And each year, we sit down together for a wonderful 8-course meal at Royal China Restaurant (which is part of the Tai Thong Group). And it is never complete without Yee Sang & karaoke all night long!.

On the first day of CNY, it will be our turn to host the extended family in our house. Of course not all 100-odd of them would turn up but still the house will be filled with people from noon till late night. Usually I am in the kitchen all the time, preparing food & drinks. Yes its tiring but thats the true meaning of CNY - food, drinks & some small time gambling too!

Traditionally, only on the 2nd day of CNY are the married woman allowed to go back to her own home for the celebrations. And I have practised this since I got married. So this day, I would wake up early and get prepared. The family would first have our must-have dimsum at Xin Cuisine (we do this every year too!) and after this, hubby & I head to my mom's place and BIL & SIL and his family heads to Melaka, where my SIL is from. Hubby, lil one & I spend the rest of the day there, chatting with my aunts & uncles and cousins, etc. Its nice to meet up with all of them once a year. My mom usually cooks up a storm for today's dinner, which I really appreciate. So thoughtful of her to cook all the food that I enjoy :-) Also on this day, my eldest SIL & her family returns home from Ipoh to celebrate CNY with us.

This year, CNY falls on a Monday & Tuesday and I presume quite a number of us would take the remaining 3 days off as well so that we can enjoy an extended week of holidays. So I will have to look forward to more food & open houses.

I will therefore have limited or even no time to blog at all .... so may I leave you with my sincere wishes for a ...
HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
GONG XI FA CAI!

8 comments:

Oliveoylz said...

It sure is a cool reunion of all sorts. 120 of u in the family! Sure sounds like fun catching up and all. Happy CNY to u and family.

Josephine said...

Hey, I din know that married women can only go back to mom's place on the second day.
Thanks for the info...
Then next year I think i cannot go back to my mom's house on the first day.
Hey on 30th, can eat in mom's place for lunch?

LittleLamb said...

wow...120 pax for reunion dinner...that's a lot of people...

Happy CNY to u and family.

Anonymous said...

Gong Xi Fa Cai to you and your family. Have a good reunion!

Little Corner of Mine said...

Gong Xi Fa Cai to you too! Post some reunion food pictures ya!

ICook4Fun said...

Gong Xi Fatt Chai to you and your family. May the year of Ox brings you health, wealth, peace and joy.

Vickylow said...

Oh Yee Sang, I yet have this the whole CNY till today haha.

Anonymous said...

Happy new year to you. Wah your family also that huge. Almost same as mine leh.