Everyone's Lunar New Year

                             Lim Jin Ee and his family

The countdown chant has started. Voices rise in crescendo as the hands of the clock tick, inching nearer and nearer to the anticipated double digit. The lanterns, hung in a diagonal row from the porch beam, illuminating every one’s face with a red glow and lending the atmosphere a festive mood. A restless soul has struggled up onto his bed and looks out the window through the gap in the curtains, curious to see what is going on next door. When the clock strikes twelve, everyone erupts into tumultuous cheers. A string of firecrackers is lit, and with an ear-splitting whiplash of popping sounds, the fire sizzles its way up, reducing the little red tubes of gun powder into flying debris in its wake and filling the air with sulphurous smoke. At the same time, fireworks rocket into the sky and burst into multicoloured cascades that brighten the darkness. You can hear their sounds reverberate through the neighbourhood and the exchange of well wishes among the revellers, such as ‘Gong Xi Fa Chai’ and ‘Xing Nian Kwai Le’. 

Are you one of those who is actively involved in the Lunar New Year countdown? Do you always observe how your neighbours welcome the festival like the restless soul does through the gap in the curtains? Have you grown jaded towards the festival, or do you feel blessed each time you celebrate it?

The Lunar New Year is a Chinese-owned tradition which has been passed down through generations since time immemorial. It commemorates the victory over Nian, a ferocious beast which is known to have terrorised the Chinese people until the advent of firecrackers, which drove it away. Also built on the premise of family reunion and prosperity, it encourages everyone far and wide to return home and enjoy the fruitful labour of their families in the presence of one another. But as time goes by, it has become a whole nation’s affair in Malaysia. In sales and open houses, you can see other racial groups being actively engaged in the fun and frenzy. Intermarriages also play an important role in this respect, resulting in the assimilation of cultures, which adds more sparks to the festivities. In equal measure, faith, too, determines the way in which one celebrates it. But sometimes compromises are made to meet different needs.

Catechist Anne Lo, 46, and her family in Permyjaya, Miri celebrate the Lunar New Year in a half-Chinese, half-Catholic way. Like other Chinese families, a few weeks before the celebration, Anne and her mother meticulously clean and decorate their house, shop for all the essential items, and bake cakes and biscuits. Her younger brother, Charles (the writer), who resides in Vista Perdana, a neighbouring housing estate, chips in some money to help with the expenses. This year, due to his busy schedule, Dominic, her youngest brother in Kuala Lumpur, will not be able to return to Miri with his wife and daughter. But Anne’s parents believe that with a steadfast trust in the Lord, everything will be taken care of. 

On the night of New Year’s Eve, Anne and her family are accustomed to having a simple reunion dinner of steamed chicken, steamed fish, stir-fried pak choi with wind-dried sausages and mushrooms, and creamed corn soup. Before eating, Anne’s father says grace and thanks the Lord for having been with them all these years. Then, they enjoy the food, eating the chicken with crisp lettuce and taking turns refilling each other’s soup bowls.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Anne and her family rise early, put on their best clothes, and attend a special mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral. They pay attention to the priest’s homily and let the words of the Holy Scripture infuse their minds. After the mass, they return home and get ready for the arrival of their relatives from Brunei. Their house looks welcoming, with a pair of red banners, with God’s words, on both sides of the door. The arrival of their relatives is characterised by handshakes, hugs, well wishes, and, occasionally, tears of joy. With the help of some aunties, Anne and her mother are busy cooking in the kitchen. because some of their relatives are Muslims, the food prepared is halal. as usual, her mother’s spring rolls and Hokkien noodles are a hit. The gathering gives them a good opportunity to chat, regale each other with interesting anecdotal tales, and recount old days over delicious food and drinks. Red packets are given to the young children, and the elderly ones are thrilled watching them sing and play. 

In the following days, the gaiety continues, with friends and colleagues visiting the Lo family. Visits are reciprocated, and goodwill abounds. The joy culminates on the fourth day of the New Year week, when the Lo family joins the church congregation in paying a visit to the Lordship Bishop Richard Ng. Every family contributes a dish or two to the large ‘potluck’ gathering. The Bishop’s residence is merry with laughter and songs of praise and worship.

Despite being a Muslim, Nur Alyssa Bt. Faizal Mahyuddean, 17, a form-five Malay science-stream student at SMK St. Joseph’s Miri, is no outsider to the Lunar New Year. Every year, she looks forward to celebrating it with her best friends, Gillian Lim Siew Giok, 17, and Eric Lo Li Hung, 17. Having been at the same school since they were little kids, the trio is as close as siblings. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Alyssa visits with Gillian and her family, and Eric’s house is easily one of the first that is visited by them. Alyssa enjoys talking with their parents, friends, and relatives who make her feel like a part of their circle.

As far as the celebration of Lunar New Year is concerned, no other family could be more unique than that of Mr Lim Jin Ee, 44. Working as a physical education teacher at SMK St. Joseph’s Miri, he is the third generation of a Chinese–Iban intermarriage. Married to a Kelabit wife, their three children, who barely look Chinese but speak fluent Mandarin, are all eager to celebrate the Lunar New Year. This attests to Mr Lim’s firmness in carrying on with his Chinese tradition. 

Every year, on the 29^thof January, Mr Lim and his family spend a seven-hour homeward-bound journey, driving from Miri to their village in Jalan Apollo, Sibu. His family clan is large. Under their 80-year-old matriarch, there are 6 married children and their spouses, 1 unmarried child, 29 in-laws, and 32 grandchildren. They are the epitome of Malaysian multiracialism, a melting pot of Chinese, Iban, Malay, Indian, Kayan, and Kelabit. However diverse their religious backgrounds are, once they return to the village, everything automatically switches back to the traditional Chinese customs. After an early reunion dinner at 5 p.m., red packets are distributed, and firecrackers are set off to usher in the new year. At 6 the next morning, firecrackers are lit again to ward off evil and beckon good luck. Then, they go the graveyard and pay respects to the departed ones in their family.

In the midst of merrymaking, there are certain traditions to follow in the Lim family. On the first day of Lunar New Year, the front door should remain open all day long to invite fortune. The floor should never be swept, and no clothes should be washed or put out to dry in front of the house. More importantly, the rice cooker must always be filled with rice so that no one in the family goes hungry. Throughout the New Year week, cooking is a serious business in His mother's house. The kitchen, strictly out of bounds to others, is a place where the culinary prowess of Mr Lim’s mother, his oldest sister, his Muslim sister, his unmarried sister, and he himself holds sway. They prepare a lot of delicious food to fill the stomachs of their loved ones and, of course, those of the guests who keep coming in droves. It is easy to spot rendang and ayam pansoh among the Chinese dishes. There are a lot of feasting, sharing, and chatting, which break the ice, deepen love, strengthen camaraderie, and improve understanding. Sometimes, a lion dance troupe is invited to add more fun.

Kudos to those who are still able to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families, for they not only safeguard their tradition and bring happiness to their loved ones but also narrow their distance from God. To those who have grown jaded, think of how the underprivileged are deprived of the gaiety, and you will feel blessed and have the urge to reach out to them. If you think you will still be a bystander in this festivity, watching others enjoy them through the gap in the curtains, do take the first step by going on visits with your friends. Experience the true meaning of the Lunar New Year and stop dissociating yourself from the joy and fun. After all, we are a multiracial nation—a family of brothers and sisters under the same roof. Our happiness matters to each other for this generation and the coming ones.