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There are as many different ways to celebrate Chinese New Year as there are Chinese families!
While we share certain practices, like reunion dinners, eating oranges, and those lovely $$$ ang paos, some of us observe less common customs. We asked around the Yoodo office and here’s what our team wanted to share about their own celebrations!
There’s no dinner like a reunion dinner!
My family got a bit bored of eating the same dishes every new year, so we started doing international reunion dinners instead. Pizzas, spaghetti, things like that. One time my cousin made shakshuka! This year it’s going to be Japanese, so I’m looking up how to make my own sushi rice. It’s a lot of work, but everyone gets excited about it! – JB
I have this one aunt who’s kind of weird. Not the feng shui kind of weird, but the crystals and dreamcatchers kind, you know? Every year she does tarot readings for anyone who visits. And yes, she actually learned to use Zoom so she could do it for all her nephews and nieces last year. – WM
I’m Indian but my Ah Ma was Chinese. When she was still alive, there would be a reporter at our reunion dinner doing a story about us for a Tamil newspaper. Every year. For 10 years. It was kind of strange, because it was family time and you’d have this one random guy taking photos. I’ve never read those articles, though…because nobody in my family reads Tamil. – T
We’ve heard of matchy matchy…but this is a bit much.
My MIL makes everyone wear zodiac animal T-shirts to take a family photo on the first day. Really, EVERYONE. We have a photo where like the parents, the kids, the in-laws, the grandkids (including a new baby) AND HER CAT all had the same T-shirt on. – HG
Look, chap chai’s awesomeness cannot be encompassed in a single free gif. You’ll just have to deal.
My brother really, really loves my Popo’s chap chai, the kind you make with all the New Year leftovers. When he started working he couldn’t get any CNY leave, so Popo made him chap chai for reunion dinner! It was a little strange at first but now I can’t imagine the chap chai ever missing from our table! – KS
We all love different things about Chinese New Year – and when you do it your way, you get to create your own brand-new traditions and stories together. No need the same old drama every year…like in our CNY short film. 😉
And by the way, if you want to record these new traditions and show us on a shiny new smartphone? You can with our HOOat HOOat New Year campaign!
Just spend RM25 on your Yoodo plan for a chance to win
Gong Xi Fa Cai from all of us at Yoodo, to all of you at home! Stay safe, stay happy, and remember HOO does it better 🙂