Chinese New Year 2010 (Day 1)

Date: 14 February 2010, Sunday
Venue: Uncle's house
Occasion: Family gathering for day 1 of the Chinese new year!

The 1st day of Chinese New Year is usually filled with excitement. But this year around, we celebrated the festival with a softer tone as my uncle just passed away last month. According to the Chinese (Buddhist/Taoist/other Chinese religions) tradition, the family shall not celebrate any festivals within the 100 days of the demise. However, I reckon in my uncle's case, there is an exception. My uncle loves & encourages family get-togethers. Thus, Chinese New Year shall not be any different, & the family were to continue gathering & live their lives with joy.

My family
(where is my mother looking at...? =.=") Grandpa was in the photo too!

For the Wongs, the 1st day of CNY begins with family breakfast of THE vegetarian dish (not just ANY vegetarian dish). I'm not sure how other families begin their 1st day of CNY, but my family has held on to this "tradition" since I-don't-know-when; perhaps even before I was born!

THE Wong's Vegetarian Dish
Looks colorful, huh? :D Dig in for a mouthful of treasure - ginkgo, Chinese black mushrooms, button mushrooms, straw mushrooms, plain beancurd sheets, sweet beancurd sheets, black fungus, dried beancurd (taufu pok), beancurd "balls" (min kan), deep fried glass noodles, red chili, Chinese cabbage, & the ingredient that gives the dish a kick, fermented beancurd (fu yue)!

THE Wong's Vegetarian Dish with the Gravy
My aunt was cooking the dish as the sun rose :)

The Chef - Aunty Anne
Her cooking of this dish gets better by the year ;) *thumbs up!* You are almost like grandpa! XD

The Rice-Scooper - PerutBesi Ruth
Every year the cousins will usually be the rice-scooper, & this year, I was the "Head Rice-Scooper", while my cousins & aunts took the bowls of rice out to the tables. According to family traditions, one is encouraged to go for seconds/"tim fann" to have abundance in everything we do throughout the year (that's why the 1st round of rice will be just 1 small scoop).

Creative Basket
My aunt's friend crafted this :) Interesting, huh? Takes up loads of patience & hard-work too!

Vegetarian Dish Served
I actually like this photo *yums*

Breakfast is Served! "Sek Fann!!"
This was our family's breakfast table :D I enjoy CNY Day 1's breakfast every year!

Dad & Mum at the Breakfast Table

In the past years, my family will set foot to visit our grand-aunt after breakfast. This year, the family didn't go for our usual visitation. No home-made prawn keropok nor cookies :( Instead, we stayed in the house for games of mahjong, cards, & to watch television for those who don't play such games.

Aunties & Cousins Playing Mahjong

There was nothing much done on Day 1 for my family. We came home to rest, after which, my mum prepared a simple dinner for us.

Fried Double-Happiness!
How do you like it? I fried these! Yeap, one's an Omega-egg, the other is the usual chicken egg.

Chinese Sausage with Rice
One of my favorites! The simple rice cooked with "lap cheong" *drools*

Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Mushrooms & Fish Cake

Day 1 of CNY ended with the family for PerutBesi. Unlike "kampungs" & small towns, the city doesn't offer much of a festive-mood; there were only faint sounds of fire-crackers & not a sight of fireworks at my housing area! *sobs* Sometimes I wish that I was somewhere else during CNY.

How was your CNY 2010 Day 1? Was it roaring with laughter? :)

Roaring into the Tiger year,
Ruth