Tis the time of the year when CNY comes again....
Was talking to a friend the other day and both of us realized that we've not celebrated New Year's Eve with our own nucleus family. Every CNY, ever since I got married, we've always spent CNY Eve with both our parents. There hasn't quite been a New Year's Eve with our own nucleus family... it has always been with our extended families. My kids' memories of CNY will be one that involves trips back to CTA1 almost every year.
My memories of CNY.... there would be this excitement that all my siblings would feel. Days before the actual CNY mum would bake cookies and make all the necessary preparations which included stocking up the fridge with food stuff. And weeks prior to it, we'd be busy cleaning and painting the house. Mom would make sure that the house is spick and span. My brothers and I, in the meantime would stock up firecrackers for the big day! We would be so excited in the weeks leading to CNY.
On the CNY eve, my mum would get up early in the morning. We would have to help her once she came back from the market. My sis usually ended up with most of the work. 8) Then the big cookout would start. By lunch time all the goodies would be ready. The main treats would be the sharks fin soup(these days I'd settle for the false sharksfin-lah) and popiah, the only time in the year we'd get to eat it. It was a grand treat! We weren't rich and food was usually very simple. CNY would be one of those occasions when the table would be filled with goodies which we'd see once a year! We'd peel the crabmeat weeks before that. So the anticipation was there! 8) These are my 2 favourite dishes. Till today, if it's anything that I miss of my mom's cooking, it would be these two.
Visitations to grandparents would be done after our own makan, usually over the next one or two days. That's when we got to collect our angpows and also toys, catch crabs and chase after the mudskippers with our cousins by the banks of the Bernam River. Life was so uncomplicated those days.
For my kids.... it's an all-in-one affair these days. Used to be lunch with one set of grandparents, then dinner with another set. But with logistic to consider, the last couple of years have been kinda quiet with my parents at my bros' places. I kinda miss that CNY of old..... being kids again. Whenever I go back to the old house, I'd still be reminded of us as kids, playing or our mum chasing us with a cane, painting the walls, doing chores... fond memories they are!
And today, after church, just realised that a whole generation has passed before us. Our kids are at that age where my fondest memories of growing up are at. One of us even has a daughter who is married.... soon to be elevated another rung to datukship... Church was our home church... the church which we grew up in... How time flies!
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4 comments:
dem!!! do i miss my childhood days back home after reading your post... :)
My husband and I were reminiscing of the good old days of CNY. How I long for the laujuak days. I do miss those days of seeing lots of food on the tables, love letters...... I remember I would save the angpows for year end church camp. Times flies! Since moving here CNY has been a quiet event.
you can't miss it as much as me... :) as least you get to back to Sitiawan!!! Thanks for bringing back all the lovely memories of home and CNY... loved it when my cousins came home for CNY, it was the highlight of my year. I confess I've been so bad at keeping traditions, but this year I'll try to make a little memory for my kids... at least a red packet and a dinner....(and yay, I am off for a week, last year I wanted to but got my dates wrong...)
yup... I still come back, in a way being able to relive those memories, for many of us those are all we have now... but the fact that we miss it... it indicates one thing, that we had good childhood. And it helps us remember the people in our lives... 8)
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