Begitu juga dengan adat pemberian angpau dan majlis makan beramai-ramai yang lebih dikenali sebagai yee sang. Yee sang bermaksud majlis makan beramai-ramai untuk keuntungan di kalangan masyarakat Cina yang menjadi tarikan utama sempena sambutan Tahun Baru Cina. Walaupun kehidupan kini yang serba moden, adat resam ini masih dikekalkan dan tetap diamalkan sehingga kini. Malah, kebanyakan remaja Cina masih mempercayai dan mengamalkan adat berkenaan supaya ia dapat dipertahankan sepanjang zaman. Antara yang masih dipertahankan ialah pantang larang ketika sambutan perayaan terbabit iaitu tidak boleh menyapu rumah pada hari pertama sambutan kerana menganggap ia boleh membuang segala keuntungan yang ada. Loi Bee Theng, 23, berkata, sama seperti masyarakat lain, kaum Cina juga menyambut kedatangan tahun baru dengan meriah yang diyakini dapat memberikan lebih kemakmuran dan kekayaan kepada mereka. Katanya, mereka akan pastikan tidak akan melakukan perkara yang boleh merosakkan pembawaan keuntungan dalam kehidupan untuk satu tahun mendatang.
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Transcript
Begitu juga dengan adat pemberian angpau dan majlis makan
beramai-ramai yang lebih dikenali sebagai yee sang.
Yee sang bermaksud majlis makan beramai-ramai untuk
keuntungan di kalangan masyarakat Cina yang menjadi tarikan
utama sempena sambutan Tahun Baru Cina.
Walaupun kehidupan kini yang serba moden, adat resam ini masih
dikekalkan dan tetap diamalkan sehingga kini.
Malah, kebanyakan remaja Cina masih mempercayai dan
mengamalkan adat berkenaan supaya ia dapat dipertahankan
sepanjang zaman.
Antara yang masih dipertahankan ialah pantang larang ketika
sambutan perayaan terbabit iaitu tidak boleh menyapu rumah pada
hari pertama sambutan kerana menganggap ia boleh membuang
segala keuntungan yang ada.
Loi Bee Theng, 23, berkata, sama seperti masyarakat lain, kaum
Cina juga menyambut kedatangan tahun baru dengan meriah yang
diyakini dapat memberikan lebih kemakmuran dan kekayaan
kepada mereka.
Katanya, mereka akan pastikan tidak akan melakukan perkara yang
boleh merosakkan pembawaan keuntungan dalam kehidupan untuk
satu tahun mendatang.
Masyarakat Cina turut percaya bahawa mereka akan ditimpa
malang jika pinggan mangkuk yang digunakan pada hari sambutan
pecah.
Oleh itu, mereka akan pastikan untuk sentiasa berhati-hati ketika
melakukan kerja rumah supaya tiada petanda buruk boleh berlaku
kepada keluarga mereka.
Malah, menurut gadis ini, acara makan beramai-ramai paling
dinantikan ketika sambutan berkenaan kerana ia dapat
memperlihatkan perpaduan dan keakraban sesebuah keluarga yang
dapat bersama-sama berkumpul bagi merayakannya.
Menurutnya, walau sesibuk manapun individu terbabit dengan
pelajaran, kerjaya, perniagaan ataupun urusan seharian mereka,
sambutan acara ini tidak boleh dilepaskan.
"Kita perlu pulang ke kampung berjumpa sanak-saudara
memandangkan sesetengah orang mungkin hanya dapat berjumpa
keluarga mereka setahun sekali.
"Ia adalah perkara wajib yang perlu dilakukan bagi menunjukkan
tanda terima kasih kepada keluarga seluruhnya," katanya ketika
ditemui di Taman Maluri, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, baru-baru ini.
Sementara itu, Ong Huey Shyan, 23, berkata sungguhpun kini
kebanyakan remaja tidak lagi mengenakan pakaian tradisional
seperti dulu, ini tidak bermakna segala tradisi turut dilupakan.
"Kami masih mengenakan pakaian berwarna merah dan
mengelakkan pemakaian baju warna hitam kerana beranggapan
ketika menyambut sesuatu perayaan, kita perlu kelihatan ceria,"
katanya.
Selain itu, pemberian angpau masih tetap diamalkan iaitu bagi
pasangan berkahwin mereka perlu memberikan angpau kepada
kanak-kanak dan mereka yang belum berkahwin.
"Ia sememangnya dinanti-nantikan kerana pada ketika ini saya
dapat mengumpulkan banyak angpau daripada sanak-saudara.
"Malah, sekiranya individu berkenaan sudah lanjut usia, tetapi
masih belum berkahwin, dia tetap akan mendapat pemberian
angpau. Sama ada dia menerimanya ataupun tidak, bergantung
kepada individu berkenaan," katanya.
Cindy Lee Ker Sin, 23, pula menjelaskan kewujudan pantang-larang
adalah untuk membimbing perlakuan supaya tidak termasuk dalam
kategori masyarakat tidak beradab.
Mungkin ramai tidak mempercayainya kerana menganggap ia
sesuatu yang tidak boleh diterima pakai tetapi bagi mereka yang
mengamalkannya, ia membantu dalam menjadikan kehidupan lebih
bermakna.
Baginya sendiri, perayaan, adat resam dan pantang-larang yang
diperturunkan tidak boleh dipandang ringan kerana ia menjadikan
siapa diri seseorang itu hari ini.
"Kita perlu memeliharanya supaya tidak terus tenggelam dalam
arus kemodenan dunia tanpa sempadan kini.
"Selain kita sebagai generasi muda, siapa lagi yang boleh
membantu mengekalkannya untuk tatapan dan pengetahuan
generasi akan datang," katanya.
Bagaimanapun, berlainan pula dengan Kenneth Kang, 24, yang
tidak lagi mengamalkan adat tradisi ini selepas kematian neneknya.
Menurutnya, dia sekeluarga tidak begitu mengamalkan adat tradisi
itu kerana kurang mempercayainya namun ada sebahagian yang
masih diamalkan.
"Kami masih mengamalkan acara makan beramai-ramai sebelum
Tahun Baru Cina kerana pada ketika itu, ia memberikan banyak
kegembiraan dengan berkumpul semula bersama keluarga.
"Lebih-lebih lagi semua sanak-saudara berada jauh di perantauan
dan ketika itulah kami dapat bersemuka dan bergembira bersama,"
Chap Goh Meh (in the Hokkien dialect) is the last day of the Chinese Spring festival
or New Year celebrations or 15th day of the Chinese lunar calendar. Chinese normally
celebrate by having a grand dinner and Buddhists and Taoist Chinese mark the day
with offerings and prayers. In the old, single girls will throw tangerines into the sea -
a belief that that will bring them a good spouse......
Festival of the Heavenly God or Jade Emperor
(9th day of the Chinese lunar calendar) This
festival starts on the early morning of the 9th day
of the Chinese lunar calendar (after midnight of the
8th day). It is the most important spring festival
for the Hokkiens (mainly descendents from Fujian
province, China), a celebration which is celebrated
widely by the Buddhist and Taoists Chinese in
Malaysia. The celebration marks the birthday of the
Jade Emperor or Guardian or Heavenly God, who
lives in the centre of the universe. The most
important offering for the Hokkien clan/ community is 'kam chia' or suger cane.
(Read story below)
In Penang, this festival is celebrated with in a grand scale, and can be observed at the Clan Jetties, near the ferry terminal (see map of George Town). The height of
celebration starts near midnight on the 8th day of the Chinese lunar calendar.
Prayers and offering are made to the god in front of the homes of many Chinese in
the country (Photo: typical offerings to in homes). Houses are usually brightly lit on
this night. There is usually fireworks on a feast after the prayers.
Story of the Hokkien clan and prominance of the sugar can plant:
During the Song Dynasty (Mongol dynasty) most of the clans in Southern China
(Fujian, Henan, Zhejiang) were heavily repressed and lived under great fear of the
Mongols. The Hokkien clan were constantly at the mercy of the Mongols who
attacked and hunted them, because the Hokkiens are seen a threat to the empire.
The Hokkiens then fled to the Henan province where sugarcane plantations were
in abundance. Though many wre killed by the pursuing Mongols, a group of Hokkiens
managed to hide themselves among the sugarcane plants. The pursuing Mongols
searched the area for days but never located the remaining Hokkiens.
The Mongols eventually gave up and returned to their base. On the ninth day of
the Chinese Calendar, the Hokkiens happily emerged from their hideout praising the
celestial deities for saving them and believed that the Heavenly God had protected
them. Thus, from then on, in all Hokkien celebrations, the sugarcane plant is given
special prominence.
That is why the Ninth day is regarded as the day of salvation by the Hokkien
Dishes to Bring Good Fortune to Your Home & Family
also see -> Chinese Horoscopes | Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon Festival
"Chi fan le mei you?" "Have you eaten yet?" Is a common greeting to guests as they enter your home to celebrate the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year throughout the west. Many of the traditions of Chinese New Year center around food either being cooked or eaten.
To all people who trace their roots back to China, the most important date in the Lunar calendar is Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, a traditional time for feasting with family and friends that dates back thousands of years.
As at all traditional Chinese gatherings, food plays an important role in the Chinese New Year Festival. Dinners tend to be very elaborate involving tables laden with auspicious foods.
On New Year's Eve, families have a reunion feast which includes nian gao, a sticky rice pudding cake which is said to make people "advance toward higher positions and prosperity step by step." A New Year's Eve tradition from Northern China, dumplings (jiao zi), look like the golden ingots yuan bao used during the Ming Dynasty for money and the name sound like the word for the earliest paper money, so serving them brings the promise of wealth and prosperity!
Many families eat these at midnight so they have money at the changing of the years. Some cooks will hide a clean coin in one for the most lucky to find. Long noodles are used to guarantee that all at the table will have a long life.
Whether fish or fowl, dishes are prepared whole. The use of knives or cleavers
are considerd unlucky as this could sever the entire family's good fortune.
Almost every dish has a symbolic meaning or name that sounds like a Chinese characters for fortune, happiness, longevity and prosperity. Hoe see fat choy, hair seaweed (fat choy) with dried oysters (ho see) sounds like "wealth and good business," lotus roots (lin ngau) mean abundance year after year, while lettuce translates into "growing wealth" and pig's
tongue forecasts "profit." When Cantonese families visit each other to exchange New Year greetings it is customary to take gifts such as tangerines and oranges, as their Chinese names sound like "gold" and "wealth". In many homes, a platter with either five meat or five vegetable dishes might be served. Whether meat or vegetable dishes are included, this dish is called "the five blessings of the new year," referring to longevity, riches, peace, wisdom and virtue.
On New Year's Eve, when everyone gathers around the table for the "Family Reunion Dinner" carp is a typical main course, because it symbolises a profitable year ahead. The fish is never fully eaten to ensure that the family will have an excess of good fortune through the year. Vegetables embody the freshness of "evergreen" and store good fortune in their roots. Fish balls (yu-wan) and meat balls (jou-wan) are symbolic of "reunion." The round shape of the meat and fish balls portrays "togetherness." Great care is taken to serve an even number of dishes to bestow "double happiness" on the family.
To ensure completeness and to avoid misfortune, most New Year dishes are prepared with uncut or whole ingredients. You are probably familiar with a duck or chicken being served with the head and feet. When cooking, people generally avoid chopping up fish, leafy greens and other items such as noodles. In fact, using knives, cleavers or sharp objects during the holiday season is considered unlucky as this could sever the entire family's good fortune. If chopped ingredients are used for the recipes, they are prepared before the Spring Festival to avoid the possibility of bad omens. This also makes the work of preparing the feasts a bit easier during the festival!
During the weeklong New Year celebrations, every household keeps their tables topped up with sweet and savoury specialties so they can welcome family and friends with a choice of festive treats. Another prerequisite of Lunar New Year is the "tray of togetherness", a tray or special box filled with an assortment of auspicious treats. Among the more popular treats are sweetened lotus roots (symbolising abundance), sweetened lotus seeds (suggesting fertility), dried melon seeds (symbolising profuse earnings), and all kinds of candies, which are a source of long-term sweetness.
Customs dictates that most families begin the first day of Chinese New Year with a vegetarian meal to counteract the effects of the excessive feasting on New Year's Eve. The choice of vegetables may include exotic types of mushrooms, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. The meat-free meal is also considered fortuitous for garnering good karma by refraining from eating anything that has been killed.
The second day of the New Year is the important "Day of Commencement" when businesses and household begin a new year of work with a commencement lunch. Cooks prepare a lavish line-up of dishes comprising chicken, shrimp, oysters and abalone. For enterprises such as retail shops these popular New Year mainstays are turned into hearty fares that include chicken, preserved duck, braised
Tangerines and oranges are given as gifts, as their
Chinese names sound like "gold" and "wealth".
seaweed with dried oysters, and carp. The lavish meal inspires good team spirit and raises hope for a profitable year.
The third day of New Year is a day to avoid social interaction, since it's known as the "Day of Squabbles". Staying home is considered the wise thing to do, and what better to spend the day than a continuing to indulge in eating mouth-watering New Year treats? Again, auspicious-sounding ingredients such as lettuce and seaweed top the list of ingredients used in preparing sumptuous meals for all the family. The dawn of the fourth day marks the return of the Kitchen God after a brief trip back to Heaven where it had delivered an account of the families' behaviour over the previous 12 months.
The seventh day of the New Year is known as "Everybody's Birthday" — a day for all to celebrate new birth with yet another round of delightful feasts. Many years ago those who aspired to receive specific blessings — such as scoring the highest marks in an Imperial Exam — would dine on symbolic dishes that would include the "Scholar's Congee" (a dish made from boiled rice, pork and a pig's internal organs).
The 15th day of the New Year marks China's very own Valentine's Day, which is also known as the Lantern Festival. Decorative lanterns are hung both indoors and outdoors and lantern parties become the major attraction for everyone to enjoy. A typical Lantern Festival treat called "Yuan Siu" — round glutinous rice balls stuffed with sweet fillings are eaten to symbolise togetherness and completeness.
A family activity during the festive spring season might include visiting walled villages to sample their fire pot "big bowl feast" ("Poon Tsoi" in Cantonese), which is regarded as a hearty treat when the weather is chilly. A traditional fire pot is a fondue style meal served in a wooden dish filled with layers of vegetables, meat and seafood. The base is usual lined with Chinese lettuce, sang choi, which sounds very much like the word meaning "to bring about wealth and riches." Cooked turnip, which has been chopped and cooked with stir-fried pork skin, strips of bean curd, bean curd balls or fish balls make the next layer. On top comes a layer of dried squid, roast pork, dried oysters, braised lotus roots and chicken. The tastes and flavours of this mouth-watering dish are enough to whet the appetite of the fussiest eater.
During the New Year month, auspicious ingredients such as oysters, seaweed, abalone, and sea cucumber are added to the feast as symbols of good fortune. Fish (yu) represent "having enough to spare," while the word for garlic chives sounds like chiu-tsai and has the meaning of "everlasting," wishing your family and guest a long life. Turnips (tsai tou) mean "good omens." Hao, oysters, sounds like the word for "an auspicious occasion or event."
Source...
The Hong Kong Tourist Board was the primary source for this information, although this
was supplemented by many other friends and resources.
also see in Travel -> China | Hong Kong Tourist Attractions