As a child, I eagerly anticipated the coming of each Spring Festival – I didn’t have to go to school, I’d have delicious food every day, and best of all, I’d receive lucky money! I still remember those times after so many years.
The Spring Festival flavours begins with the food. From the first day to the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, my mother would be busy making steamed bread. Although she made these regularly, for this occasion, she’d make so many that we wouldn’t be able to finish until the 15th day of lunar January! Piping hot buns fresh out of the steamer, with their special aroma, are pillowy soft and sweet and ready to eat! I also love the sight all the steamed buns neatly piled and presented for guests. After the steamed buns comes the deep fried mung bean ball. Mung beans soaked in water into a paste, and then hand-shaped into balls and fried in oil – the result? Fragrant, tasty mung bean balls! That, combined with the scent of fried fish, fried chicken, deep fried noodles, is the best way to signal the start of the New Year!
Next comes the firecrackers.
From the eve of Chinese New Year, the sound of firecrackers and the smell of gunpowder begins! I especially like the small firecrackers, which I would disperse across a large area. I would then ignite them and make myself scarce! We were also daring enough to light the firecrackers in our hands before tossing them over our heads, creating beautiful mid-air sparks. This requires skill combined with a dose of courage – one false move and the firecrackers could ignite in your hands! The key is to pinch the middle of the wick!
There’s also a kind of flavour that words can’t describe – warmth.
It may be cold outside, but inside, where the family gets together to have dinner, chat, watch a bit of television, and give thanks for making it through another year safe and sound, it’s definitely warm and cosy.
No matter where I go, and no matter where I celebrate the coming of another New Year, I will always remember the flavours of the Spring Festival.
Spring Festival
After a busy year
The day is finally here
We sweep away the dust
And our troubles
We have Spring Festival couplets on our doors
And smiles on our faces
We place the character ‘luck’ and paper art on our windows
And hang lanterns and New Year paintings on the walls
We make steamed bread
Enough for several days
We offer sugared melons to the Kitchen God
So he can put in a good word for us in the heavens
We eat rice cakes
So we can improve ourselves, step by step, in the coming year
The entire family gets together for dinner
Waiting for tomorrow
We open our doors and light the firecrackers
Sending our greetings to the sky
We wish our elders a happy New Year
And bestow lucky money upon our juniors
We visit friends and family
Spreading joy and blessings for the New Year
We made it through another year, safe and sound
This new year will be more happiness all around
Evan Yu
Chinese Teacher
