This year CNY was more hectic than before because of our newborn. Unfortunately, this round I wasn't saved by any Covid lockdowns which means we had to do some traveling for the visitations. Generally, I still love my CNY (I know many don't) Maybe I just adore traditions or the ambience of big gatherings, but one thing for sure, I truly value the togetherness of a family.
I think most people probably don't feel the same as I do about CNY mainly because most family no longer set aside time to bake cookies/ food prep. Although it is massive work (to clean up after), it is very fun and is a great bonding activity.
During every festival we celebrate, we would try to incorporate some simple baking to engage our little one. Last year, we did some pineapple tarts. This year the boy with the help of his grandfather baked some kueh bangkit. It is actually pretty tasty. I ended up eating one whole bottle of it and had a sore throat. Supportive mother they say.
Another fun thing to do for the kids is the loh-hei. It was my favorite as a kid and still one of the highlights for me at CNY. Some of us would call it the Chinese Salad. I am such a huge fan, I would usually end up eating 2 plates of it. My son only likes the "gold" / crackers in the Loh-Hei.
To be honest, Loh-hei-ing with an infant in one hand is tough. Tip: Sit the baby on the table so that you can stand and loh or just sit on a chair and loh. I prefer the former because I am superstitious. I am a firm believer that the higher you toss, the more auspicious you will be in the coming year. Haha! Another tough thing this CNY was dressing the children up and having a photos of them together.
As you can see, I barely have any photos of them together. By now, you can tell, I really love dressing up my children. CNY just gives me an excuse to shop more and dress them cutely. Damage was pretty huge this time round but boy am I enjoying it! Hehe! As an adult, I barely buy new clothes for the occasion (into sustainable living lately), but I don't seem to have any issues splurging and breaking my rule of life on them.
If you really want your kids to enjoy CNY, lax the "food rule". My son and I are huge pineapple tarts fans and at every house, we would try every tart. He also ate lots of chocolates. I knew what I enjoyed bingeing on as a kid too, and I just couldn't bring myself to stop him. Yes, I know it is unhealthy but if you can't eat what you like during celebratory moments, what's the point of life?
And my ultimate favorite would be still the red packets. This year, my son progressed from an ang pao tosser to someone who finally knows the value of money. He ended up ripping all his ang paos to get the money in it so that he can get ice-cream. Oh gawd! The husband even bought cute holographic ang pao packets for the kids. I...would never do that because hey sustainability. In fact, I even recycle the red packets.
Ending this post with a gentle urge to the Chinese readers to embrace our roots and culture. It is screaming red, it is noisy, it is loud. But it is also that one day people (however reluctant) gather and new bonds are formed. Joy comes from how you perceive things/events. Open your heart a little and you will realize why this is one of the most important festivals for us Chinese.