Red Boxes Hanging....

Red Boxes hanging....



Everyone says the yellow snake is nicer.
This is nice too if you stop and admire it.

Still so much leftover....

It's the 14th day of the Chinese New Year and we were having dinner at our Uncle's place.
While waiting for dinner, we were snacking away....



oh... this is only part of the snacks that's on the coffee table in the living room.
There's still others that's unopened.

How long does it take you all to finish all the Chinese New Year goodies?
I have been trying to finish our stash at home too, first to go were the Kuih Lapis, and then the Pineapple Tarts. The rest are clearing very very slowly!

The Lion Head of the Lion Dance

A pair of Lion Head of the Lion Dance troupe!



The kids, yeah these are NUS Students from the NUS Lion Dance, a student group that's part of the NUS Centre for the Arts.

Get ready for the noise! It was boisterous when they performed for our company's annual Chinese New Year lunch today.

Lion Dance

This morning I was passing by a row of shop houses on the way to work and saw across the road, lion dance!



Many business (and some household too) invite the Lion Dance Troupe to perform the "cai ching"(plucking the greens) "採青" to bring good luck and prosperity to them.

Happy Lunar New Year

Wishing all a very Happy Lunar New Year.

A favourite past time of people living in Singapore, eating!
This is the tossing of Yusheng,  a popular salad dish that's enjoyed very much in Singapore.



With each toss, a phrase is uttered that brings forth blessings.

CNY Lights

The Lunar New Year's ending. Here's one more photo to add to the collection.



Have a great weekend!

The Lion Dances...

At our 'company lunch', every year, the lunch starts off auspiciously with the thundering drums from the Lion Dance Troupe.

A colleague noted that for this year there's only 1 lion. It has been a pair of lions for the last few years.

The start of an austerity drive?



We had 'hong bao' as well. But they have only a month to go before expiry.
The message is clear. LOL...

Dried Persimmons

One of the many traditional goodies that people buy during the lunar new year is the dried persimmons.



Its very sweet. Some are even preserved wine.
They are also serve in a chines dessert known as cheng tng.

Wishing all a very Happy Lunar New Year

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Wishing everyone who celebrates the Lunar New Year a Blessed and Properous New Year!


This is taken from Chinatown when we visited it 3 days before the first day of the Lunar calendar. It was so crowded!

The literal translation of the 4 chinese characters means "Spring comes to earth" :-)

Nice sayings during the Lunar New year

Every year there will be 1 stall or 2 down Chinatown where someone will sit and write these couplets. They are usually bought and hung on the main doors, on the first morning of the lunar new year.



Usually these couplets comes in a pair, 2 lines of 4 characters each. But this one we saw, is 7 characters. Not too good with my mandarin, hence shall not attempt to explain the meaning of each of them :-) Although they usually mean good things for the new year or blessings for the household.

Lunar New Year Dinner

What are most Chinese in Singapore doing the last few days?
Eat and eat and eat!

The 15 days celebration of the Lunar New Year, people will be eating tidbits, having meals with families, visiting relatives etc...

Here's one of our many family dinners.



Want to see close up of the food? haha.. Then click here.

Wishing all a very Happy Lunar New Year

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. Wishing all Chinese, Vietnamese, and other people groups in the world that celebrate the Lunar New Year a very Blessed and Prosperous New Year.



The picture is a street vendor in Chinatown that is selling decorations. The man is selling poetic wordings or greetings for the new year in Chinese calligraphy.

your very own Chinese Name Seals...

A man making the traditional name seals. It's your name in the Chinese Characters engraved on stone. This guy is making them at the Chinatown Night Bazaar.



I had one of these made when I was a little kid. I thought it was fun. Anyone out there also have your own name seal? ;-)

It sure is crowded...

Quick short post today. Scene at Chinatown Singapore these few days.



Chinese households around the world are all busy doing the big clean up. Everything must be 'spring cleaned' in time for the Lunar New Year. OK, back to cleaning....

Whispering Sweet Nothings...

Just before the Lunar New Year, everyone will be stocking up lots of goodies for friends and relatives who visit for the festivities.

Seen here, LOTS and LOTS of sweets being sold at the Night Bazaar at Chinatown.



Why do people eat sweet things during the Lunar New Year? Well, it's so that every word that will be spoken will be sweet! Just like lovers whispering sweet nothings. LOL.

Mickey Mouse loves Chinatown...

I was not joking when I mentioned that it is a Mickey Mouse in yesterday's post.

See, I think they must have paid a fair bit to pay for the licensing to use its characters ya. See Mickey Mouse is doing the lion dance!



Any Mickey fans out there? If not Mickey, any Disney fans? :-)
Few more days to the Lunar New Year! woo hoo!

It's a Mickey Mouse Light Up @ Chinatown

Look at the lights. They are all very mickey mouse.
I think two of my colleagues who are Mickey Fans must be loving this year's light up.



What's the theme of the light up in your Chinatown (if there's a theme)?

a chinese equivalent of a Christmas Tree?

Looks pretty don't they? These are not roadside plants. These are individual potted plants that are for sale for the coming Chinese New Year. Many people like to buy these plants for decoration as it has symbolic meanings.

The plants behind are mini fruit plants. They are mini mandarin oranges. They symbolize abundance of wealth. (as they look like golden nuggets)

The plants in front are flowering plants that have reddish and yellow colours, both auspicious colours too.



All for sale by this corner shop in Clementi, Sunset Way. They are only for sale during the Lunar New Year period. Haha.. something like a "Chinese Christmas Tree" equivalent? LOL. Yes, people do put decorations on them too!

Do you buy plants for decoration at any festive season?

red and orange colours rules during CNY.

Scenes of Chinatown. This will be what I will be posting here in Daily Photos these few days.

It seems Reddish and Orangey colors rules!



Do you have a Chinatown in your city? Do you visit it often?
For me, I only visit it during Chinese New Year!

sbs transit and bak kwa stalls welcomes you to chinatown.

It's getting nearer to the Chinese New Year. Chinatown is such a hive of activity. Last nite I walked the streets of Chinatown to 'absorb the atmosphere'. haha..

Many people do that for the fun of it. Squeezing with thousands of people along the roads in Chinatown with stalls displaying their wares.

Visitors coming out of the Chinatown MRT station will see this. The welcome sign is exactly the same as last year's. Guess they are good at recycling :-)

View the photo I took in February last year here of the same entrance.
The only difference is that the station number and name has been replaced with a Bak Kwa shop's advertisement.



I know most people hate crowds. But, do you sometimes like me just join the crowds for the fun of it? haha..