It’s a tradition to toss raw fish salad to usher in the Lunar New Year in Malaysia and Singapore, but it seems that the custom has spread to other countries as well. A friend in Bangkok said that she usually has raw fish with her Malaysian friends at a sharks fin restaurant in Bangkok that is owned by a Singaporean.
Why raw fish and why toss it in a salad? Fish is a symbol of wealth, and the sound of the word fish in Chinese is similar to the sound of the word abundance. Raw fish salad is called Yee Sang or Yu Sheng and the tossing of the raw fish salad is called Lohei. The tossing of the raw fish salad can be compared to making a toast to welcome the new year.
The Lunar New Year spirit begins with the long queues outside banks a few weeks before the Lunar New Year. The queues are to get new bank notes for the ang pows or red packets. The spirit continues with joining the crowds at the supermarkets to buy fresh groceries.
Like other families, we had a traditional reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year with the traditional Yee Sang, steamboat and mango pudding for dessert. Many years ago some students from China told me that the tradition in their hometown was to spend the whole day of the eve of Lunar New Year making dumplings for the reunion dinner. It was time to chat and catch up on news. I came to appreciate that spending time in the kitchen is part of the festivities.
Takeaway celebration dinners have become common. The essence of reunion dinner is to spend time with the family. Takeaway dinners are practical and often very tasty, but somehow one misses out on the fun leading up to the dinner. I enjoy having my mother give me cooking tips. She is particular about how to boil the soup for steamboat. It has to be made with a whole chicken and daikon (Chinese radish). The quality of the soup makes all the difference.
When my brother was driving me home, he looked at the sky when we stopped at the traffic junction and asked, “Where is the moon?” He started to point out the stars and then remembered that the full moon will only appear on the 15th Day of the Lunar New Year. I have been celebrating the Lunar New Year for years, but somehow I had not registered the fact that the full moon only appears on the last day of the Lunar New Year period (the 15th day). I will look out for it this year.
Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year and the warmth of many gatherings with family and friends.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 11 February 2024
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