Chinese new year will be coming soon. This year the Chinese new year is on January 26th. In my family, we do not celebrate it since grammy passed away 17 years ago. When grammy was alive, in time like this, we usually were busy with preparing the new year. Grammy liked cooking. So, she wanted to make all food by herself. She was a good manager, too. She organized everything tightly and we, her subordinates, should be ready for her instructions. J
First of all, grammy would ask my mom (her daughter in law) to go to market with a list of hundred things to buy: onions, vegetables, fruits, meat, etc….The tension to prepare the celebration was high during 2 days before the date. During those days, grammy would ask her daughters to come to our house to help us prepare everything. During those days, my cousins would come too, so our home was very crowded and full of laughter. Grammy usually asked her fist daughter to make some traditional Chinese cookies and her youngest daughter had to help grammy cook some meals. Grammy’s cook was very delicious. I liked her soup contained pork, vegetables, and eggs. I also liked to taste some meals before they were ready to serve. J Then it would make grammy very angry. But, you know, I would always do that with my cousins to make her grumbling all the day.
When the meals were ready. My cousins, m sister, and I were instructed to put each meal in the dining time in order. Grammy had the order list and we had to follow her. One, two, three, four, .. wow… our table now were full of meals, cookies and fruits. Oops .. and various drinks. Now, it was time to send a prayer. Grammy usually lead us into prayers. In this old tradition, we followed grammy’s belief. (now, we are Christian and we do not pray again in that way). One by one, we took change to pray to our ancestors. We took the joss stick and starting to pray, asking them to protect us, to bless us. After each of us took turn to send our prayers then we should wait for a moment before we could eat together. It was the time when grammy would ask the ancestors about whether they enjoyed our offerings or not. Grammy would pray again while her fingers held two old coins. After praying, she would throw up the coins and she would see the positions of the coins. Grammy knew which positions that signed satisfaction, joy of the ancestors and which positions that signed disappointment. After that, grammy would ask us to eat together all the meals that served in the table. Wow, big party began. It was one day before Chinese new year. When Chinese new year came, grammy would get up early, take a bath, and then she was ready in the living room to welcome guests who visited her. Our relatives would visit grammy and say happy Chinese new year to her. Then, it was our joy because as children; my cousins and I were busy collecting red envelope with money inside J
Now, the Chinese new year party in my family is just a happy memory. Grammy had passed away and no one in the family would like to continue the tradition. Grammy’s first daughter had passed away, too. And in time like this, when people are preparing Chinese new year, my thoughts always fly to the event some years ago. The time when I was still very young. At that time I was about 10 years old. It was very nice and cheerful moment when my cousins and I were gathering to play together ignoring grammy who were very talkative in time before the Chinese new year. (I am sorry grammy to say that … J)
I also missed my aunties. My aunty (grammy’s first daughter) who usually cooked very delicious cookies. And most of all, I missed my beloved aunty who passed away on October 17, 2007. My beloved aunty (my mom’s sister) were also an expert in cooking. She did not make Chinese new year party but she usually cooked some Chinese new year meals and delivered to us. But since 2008, I really have had very lonely Chinese new year. This year, I think I will have too. No grammy, no aunties, who cooked very delicious meals for us. Mom is now 81 years old and I don’t have hope much on her to cook for me. She rarely cooks even she has difficulty to walk. Mom and I usually talk about them in time like this. Grammy, aunties, I miss you all in every minutes of my life. Especially in times like this, I miss you so much.
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