Chinese New Year 2021

[ombugge]

Soon the Chinese/Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival as it is called in China, will be upon us. (11th February) This will be the year of the Iron Ox in the Chinese zodiac:
.

It will be a different celebration for many due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with limitation on the number of people that can be together for the family reunion dinner and the normal family visits:

Even rules for tossing Yusheng. No shouting of “Loh hei”:

For us it will be different because we will not be in Singapore this year.
No travel between countries and even within some countries.

In Singapore the preparations are underway regardless: Chinatown is busy with shoppers of goodies as usual

And the decorations are up:

Not to forget:

High season for Lion Dance Troops.

[ombugge]

A lot of Malaysian Chinese who work in Singapore normally go back to their home town/village to celebrate CNY with their family every year. Buses and trains are fully booked weeks in advance and the que at the Causeway can be VERY long in the days before and after CNY. Here a 3-hour que in 2017:

Not so this year, since most workers just stay put and even work during the holiday:

Returning home for festive break not an option for many Malaysians in S'pore

American firm Illumina, which develops DNA sequencing technologies, has several hundred Malaysian employees on its books at its Woodlands manufacturing facility.
Only around 35 Malaysian employees have applied for leave to return home for Chinese New Year.

[ombugge]

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!! (or Cong Xi Fa Cai in Mandarin)

May the Year of the Iron Ox be a good one for all !!![

[Sand_Pebble]

On News Years Eve I eat 12 grapes, on New Year’s Day I eat black eye peas & cabbage but Chinese New Years is far better when it comes to food for good luck. Tomorrow night we have reservations at the same Chinese restaurant that we ate at last Chinese New Years which was on Jan 25th 2020. Great food with great company. We are optimistic for a prosperous lunar calendar year to all.

7 Lucky Foods to Eat During Chinese New Year, Chinese New Year Food

[Sand_Pebble]

Look @Lee_Shore , when someone starts a thread about a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter we don’t need some political b.s about Santa Claus having type 2 diabetes or the Easter Bunny spreading plague through bunny droppings he left laying around. It’s a good hearted, millenniums old tradition of celebrating the lunar new years for crying out loud.

[Lee_Shore]

Jeez, no need to get your knickers in a twist. Happy New Year!

[ombugge]

Not politics but shipping outlook in the year of the Ox:

What’s in store in the Year of the Ox? - Splash247

PS> This New Year will be year 4719 by the Chinese calendar.

[tengineer1]

@Sand_Pebble

when someone starts a thread about a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter we don’t need some political b.s about Santa Claus having type 2 diabetes or the Easter Bunny spreading plague through bunny droppings he left laying around. It’s a good hearted, millenniums old tradition of celebrating the lunar new years for crying out loud.

I’m putting this on my refrigerator for posterity.

[Lee_Shore]

I didn’t see the post as being political nor was it intended to insult anyone but since it’s considered insensitive or inappropriate, I deleted it. Problem solved. Happy year of the Iron Ox.

[ombugge]

Everything is becoming political these days. Comments about girly boys in China and baseball managers taking sides in Chinese internal affairs are seen as insult by ordinary Chinese on Weibo.

[tugger50]

Vietnamese lunar New Year is about the same and a big deal here in our home. There is certain food that is only available before and during this celebration. I took mama to several Asian markets yesterday so she could get the proper food stuff. Vietnamese food is different than Chinese but to me it all smells the same.
I have a dragon tattoo on my left arm so I have that part covered.

[ombugge]

@tugger50

Vietnamese lunar New Year is about the same and a big deal here in our home.

Vietnamese New Year (TET) is the biggest event of the year in Vietnam. It is much the same as CNY among Chinese anywhere in the world

@tugger50

Vietnamese food is different than Chinese but to me it all smells the same.

Fish sauce is NOT a main ingrediency in any of the many different Chinese cuisines that exists, as far as I know.

[tugsailor]

Who’s ox is being Gored? Or I’d it Bidened?

At least the ox doesn’t need to worry about being Trumped.

[ombugge]

The ox is held up as a paragon of virtue in Chinese culture for being honest and hardworking.PHOTO: REUTERS

Most people can’t wait to chase away the Rat Year, a grim year in which millions of lives and livelihoods were lost to a virus that could have leapt from wildlife to humans.

[ombugge]