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PETALING JAYA: While the Ox may have been greeted without the usual fanfare, the Chinese community showed some unique ways to usher in the Lunar New Year.
These ranged from dinners at home with the family within a 10 km range to virtual meetings via WhatsApp.
Corporate Communications student Jasmine Loke said it was a quieter gathering and celebration for her family.
He said that every year his relatives would meet at his maternal grandmother’s house in Air Panas, Setapak in Kuala Lumpur.
“However, this year, we kept that tradition on screen, an experience that must have seemed foreign to my 89-year-old grandmother, but was necessary to keep her and other family members safe, as staying home now was a sign. of love, “she said Sun.
“Every Chinese New Year, my sister and I were absolutely afraid that our nosy relatives would ask us invasive questions about our love lives and our studies, and we tend to stress over how to politely deflect their questions during our meetings. This year, we were able to escape that experience, thanks to the lagging WhatsApp video calls and the presence of our parents on the calls, which probably made it uncomfortable for them to ask.
“On the downside, we collected a lot less ang pow this year. It seems our uncles, aunts and other relatives conveniently ‘forgot’ to send us e-ang pow, ”he said.
University professor Beh Chun Chee said that we spent this year at home due to the travel restrictions imposed during the motion control order.
“In the past, all the relatives would go back to Ipoh, where our older uncle stays. We would do this on the first day of the Chinese New Year.
The family would reserve a restaurant for a reunion lunch and we would fill three tables. Families from different states (Penang, Perak, Selangor and also from China) gathered, celebrated and chatted. However, we could not carry out the same tradition this year, ”he said.
Instead, cousins of his generation made a greeting video for the family.
“Each of us recorded a short clip to wish our elders a healthy and prosperous New Year and then we sent the compilation to our family group on WhatsApp. Later, we had a Zoom meeting the same day. “
Beh said that although it was a relaxing Chinese New Year, she missed the usual sound of laughter and chatter among family members.
Executive Maureen Tong said she was grateful for the revised standard operating procedure that allowed her to meet her brother and family for a small reunion dinner.
“This year’s reunion took place on a small scale and we miss the different varieties of food that we previously got, but I think the most important thing is the health of our loved ones. I would rather miss this year’s celebrations so that I can enjoy next year and the years to come, ”she said, adding that she missed the family bond, the food distribution and the talks with her cousins.
Insurance agent Cheong Joe Ee said Sun the most notable difference this year was fewer home visits and less ang pow.
“The impact of the lockdown felt as if our traditions were restricted, but it is to stop the spread of the virus and keep our elderly safe,” he said.
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