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The year of the dog
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Fung Pao, the dragon dance and reunion dinners marked the celebrations of the Chinese New year in the city
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CELEBRATIONS Dorinda Lim decorates her house with Chinese couplets and Mandarin oranges. (below) Chinese meditating at Ananda Buddha Vihara on the occasion of their New Year PHOTO: D. GOPALAKRISHNAN
The Gregorian calendar may have celebrated its New Year day almost a month ago, but for the Chinese across the globe and even those in Hyderabad, January 29 marked the beginning of the New Year. Chinese New Year begins on a new moon day and the celebrations traditionally culminate on the 15th day with the Lantern festival.
Many would surely have heard of China Town in Kolkatta. This is the time when many Chinese families settled in Hyderabad head to Kolkatta, where they have run tanneries for generations. Red is a favoured colour for the occasion, with its brightness and vibrant appearance setting mood for the rest of the year.
The good life
K.Y. Liu, partner at Hai-King restaurant in Himayatnagar, says that since the Chinese Community is quite small in the city, his entire family had left for Kolkatta to celebrate the occasion. However, Liu came back a day before New Year to welcome Khoisan, the god of wealth, in his house. "Every year we have a certain time which we consider auspicious and this year it was 1.30 a.m. The restaurant was closed and I had a party for the staff."
Other traditions he followed this year was laying out a table with 10 vegetarian food items like biscuits, chocolates, oranges, and five cups of tea and liquor for the god of wealth. "On New year's eve, the entire family sits together and has a meal called Thongyan. After which we exchange Fung Pao."
He explains that Fung Pao are little red packets that essentially contains money. "Fung Pao are given to youngsters in the family.
But once you are married, you have to give these little red packets to your parents," he says. And no Chinese new year is complete without a Dragon dance. "In Kolkatta, the families live close by, so after1.30am a dragon dance was taken from house to house and ended only by 5am."
Family bonding
Dorinda Lim, a Singaporean-Chinese settled in Hyderabad, says the Chinese New Year is all about visiting your relatives and spreading good cheer. She explains that at this time of the year, everybody wears red or bright-coloured clothes.
"When I used to celebrate the New Year with my family in Singapore, we would have a reunion dinner. We also visit our relatives, especially the elders. When in Hyderabad, my husband Vikram and I go to a Chinese restaurant and have dinner. He was not around this year, but I tagged along with friends for a brunch."
Dorothy Chang, a hairdresser, spent new years with her family, visiting the Buddhist temple at Mahindra Hills and then visited her relatives.
"After that we went shopping and ended the day with dinner at a relatives place."
The tradition
This year is the year of the dog. If you were born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994 or 2006, then the year is considered lucky for you. Here are a few customs that the Chinese follow:
* They cook desserts as it is auspicious to have sweets during the period
* Bedsheets are changed
* A family dinner is a must, where like abalone, chicken, fish and prawns are served.
* Red packets are given to children and those who are unmarried.
* People wear bright coloured clothes, shoes and bags.
* Friends and relatives are paid visits and mandarin oranges are exchanged.
* Card games with friends or relatives are quite popular.
* Houses are spring cleaned before the New Year and auspicious couplets are used to decorate the house
RENUKA VIJAY KUMAR
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