A typical Chinese New Year for me used to be a simple and quiet reunion dinner with a handful of relatives followed by two solid days of outdoor rock climbing.
My first New Year after marriage was quite an experience. I don’t think I am quite used to being surrounded by so many people. Nor am I used to the fact that I suddenly have a whole new set of relatives I have to visit and pay my respects to. Throw in a few dinners, a family holiday and three festival-related rituals and the whole experience can appear a tad overwhelming.
Such it was for me this year.
In the traditional sense, the first day of new year is always devoted to family on the paternal side. It’s one of those “by default” things. Even when my maternal grandmother was around, she knew it was so. Even if she had asked me over to her house first, I would be expected to go to my paternal grandmother’s house, should they be in town. That’s just the way things are.
Now that I am married into a new family, the same is said of my family. In the traditional sense, my attendance is expected first with my husband’s family and only after those duties are completed, do I return to my own family.
On the morning of the first day, all of the younger generation is required to serve tea to the older generation. That meant my husband, myself, and my two sisters-in-law were all required to serve tea to my new parents and my new grandmother.
In addition to that, both the hubby and I had to give out two red packets to everyone junior to us who was unmarried. That’s only in the first year after marriage. From the next year onwards, one red packet to each person is sufficient.
Don’t fret if you’re worried about the financial ramifications of this. Apparently it seems that it is quite acceptable to hand out red packets with a message inside instead of money.
We were then required to visit each of my new relatives on my father-in-law’s side and a select few on my mother-in-law’s side. We would arrive at each house, hand out bags with goodies (usually mandarin oranges, biscuits and other sweets), serve tea to the older generation and hand out red packets to the younger generation.
This process took place within the two weeks of New Year, although it should be noted that the actual day of New Year for Hokkiens is the 8th day of the regular new year.
A long time ago, a friend told me that there is a myth surrounding the reason for a delayed new year celebration. Apparently the Hokkiens received news from a deity that an evil spirit was coming to wipe out the entire Hokkien clan. The Hokkiens hid in the sugarcane fields to escaped the massacre, but in doing so, they also missed the actual new year celebration. To commemorate the event, the Hokkien New Year is now celebrated on the 8th day of new year.
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