The
hustle and bustle in the days preceding the dawn of the Lunar New Year, appears
to be the same the world over where there is a Chinese community who will be busy
preparing to welcome the New Year with traditions of feasting and family
reunions.
The
Chinese have a tradition of a family reunion dinner held on the eve of the New
Year. Even though family members may work and live away, they make an effort to
return to their family home – at least once a year – to celebrate with their
parents and older relatives over a reunion feast.
A Chinese grocer in Burwood that
stays open for business on 365 days
Sharing
meals together with the family regularly is a bonus. We know that sitting down
to eat together as a family strengthens relationships, improves emotional
wellbeing and encourages healthier eating habits.
While
creating a safe and consistent time to connect with each other, this practice
fosters communication and helps children develop social skills.
However,
it may be impossible for people to often share meals with their families when
they have to live and work away from their hometown.
Choosing the freshest produce and ingredients
in a mall market
So
the Chinese New Year is a special time of year to reunite with family members,
especially the seniors, over a meal particularly on the eve of the Chinese New
Year.
The
preparation for this feast begins with shopping for the ingredients to prepare
several dishes that feature meats like poultry, pork and fish, with
complimenting vegetables that represent auspiciousness and abundance.
To
traditional Chinese, food must not only look good and taste good, it must also
present an auspicious meaning so that the family will kick off the New Year
with a positive vibe, one that will prevail in their lives throughout the year.
These shoppers know that homecooked
dishes are the best for their families
So
there I was among the shoppers in Burwood, where a number of good Chinese
grocers were located and saw how shoppers were browsing around, choosing the
freshest produce to prepare such a feast for their families.
With
a set menu in mind, each shopper was seeking all the necessary ingredients to
prepare the dishes to serve at their reunion dinner.
I
understand that some cooks have to seek out a particular brand of sauce that
they were familiar with to prepare their dishes, and this may take time and
effort to find.
I
also learnt that some grocers in Sydney have a section for Malaysian products
but because they have limited space, they may no longer stock certain brands.
A Chinese grocer that stocks a wide
selection of Chinese products and ingredients
As
a connoisseur of good food, I can fully appreciate such a great deal of effort (Read:
love and affection!) that went into seeking out that sauce or ingredient to cook
a particular dish or brew a nourishing soup, for the family meal.
Preparation
of certain dishes may start days ahead of the reunion dinner, marinating or
braising, as it takes time and effort to completely assemble elaborate dishes
before being served.
In
cities like Johor Bahru, there is a trend where families have opted to dine out
for their reunion dinner. Restaurants offer two dining sessions, maybe at
6.30pm and 8.30pm so diners must make advance reservations and be there on
time.
Very
often diners arrive later than the appointed time for the first dining session
and their meal will have to be a rushed experience so that their table may be
cleared and set up again for the second dining session.
Choosing fresh flowers and potted plants
to decorate their homes for Chinese New Year
In
the unfortunate event that this happened, the family who booked the second
dining session may have to wait longer for their table to be ready.
One
family who had reservations for the second dining session told me that they
waited so long for their table to be ready that they stepped forward to help
clear the table and set it up again for themselves.
This
was not the sort of reunion dinner they expected to have at a restaurant so after
this unpleasant experience, they decided that never again will they dine out on
the eve of Chinese New Year but will only dine in the comfort of their own
home.
For
many families, the joy of the season begins with pre-festival preparations like
Spring cleaning, decorating their home, shopping for new clothes, fresh flowers
and potted plants.
Traditional
Chinese may have rituals and traditions passed down from generation to
generation while people who are house-proud will do their best to tidy up and
present a pleasant environment to family and friends who will visit to
personally give their festive greetings and pay respects to the elderly in
their family.
While
I was in the mall, I observed Chinese families who live abroad, trying to
encourage their children and grandchildren to enjoy the Chinese New Year
traditions and festivities. I watched as a grandmother pushed her grandkids to
watch the cultural performances that were happening in the concourse of the
mall.
A Chinese cultural dance being performed
in the concourse of the mall
Their
excitement increased when we spotted young people carrying in equipment which I
recognized as part of a traditional lion dance troop. The back of their T-shirts
had the words: Australian Eastern Tradition Centre, printed on it.
I
am familiar with Chinese Lion Dancing and had the privilege to share the story
on Kun Seng Keng, Johor’s award-winning High-Pole Lion Dancing troop, in
My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, the third and final
instalment of the trilogy of My Johor Stories books.
No,
I did not stay to watch the show. While I was leaving the mall, I saw more youngsters
carrying in the lion heads and another was pushing the trolley with a Chinese
drum on it, ready to give a dramatic performance to the mall shoppers there. 
Here comes a lion head, ready to perform
a traditional Lion Dance in the mall
Outside
the mall, I joined the throng on the sidewalks. Among the crowd, I spotted a
family of ladies and young girls dressed in pastel Pink Vietnamese national
costumes – the ao dai – a long, form-fitting tunic with side slits worn
over loose, wide-legged trousers.
Vietnamese
ladies usually wear this elegant costume for the Lunar New Year, weddings or as
school uniforms, so this group may be having an early celebration during the
weekend, in advance to the New Year.
When
I passed a Chinese restaurant, I saw some cakes displayed for sale on a table
outside. I paused to take a closer look and saw that they were in fact, nian
gao or glutinous rice cakes, a traditional Chinese New Year delicacy.
These
were made in a much bigger size than what we are familiar with in Malaysia and
were also decorated, topped with Red dates.
This
glutinous rice cake or kueh bakul, is also called sticky rice cake due
to its sticky and chewy consistency when it was warm and soft.
Ever
since I learnt why the Chinese have a nian gao tradition during Chinese
New Year, I have enjoyed sharing with readers who may not know why.
I
must confess that thinking about the tradition of nian gao always made
me smile because it was a sweet treat offered to the Kitchen God in the homes
of traditional Chinese families, about a week before the dawn of the Lunar New Year.
According
to traditional Chinese belief, the Kitchen God would leave for heaven to make
his “annual report” about the family to the Jade Emperor and return on the
fourth day of the first lunar month.
Varieties of nian gao or glutinous rice cakes
displayed outside a Chinese restaurant
So
besides offering fruit and meat, lighting joss sticks and burning joss paper,
the nian gao was also offered to the Kitchen God with the aim to “seal
his lips” so that he would fail to give a poor report about that family,
especially when they were more naughty than nice!
Whether
you have been naughty or nice in the past year, do enjoy your Chinese New Year
celebrations with your family and friends. Let me quote the lyrics of a popular
Chinese New Year song with good wishes of, “Kongxi! Kongxi! Kongxi Ni.”
#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue
#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026
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