A tradition is a celebration of all things past, and enjoyed and shared by everyone in the present. It is truly a wonderful gift. This gift also keeps on giving, as the joy of the festivities continues to be celebrated by people throughout the world, as a link connecting people from the past, the present and the future.
It is with this feeling of nostalgia that made me visit Chinatown this year to soak in the festivities and buzz that only the Lunar New Year celebration can bring. Seeing the lively streets full of red festive decorations, ox ornaments and auspicious couplets gave me a sense of happiness and abundance that even though we are still in a pandemic, the power and joy of a timeless tradition cannot be denied.
I also visited the famous Chinatown complex, and had the traditional 'ah balling soup', which signifies familial togetherness and bonds. It was great seeing the place so lively and full of different people all enjoying the holiday in their own way, with families enjoying their yusheng, elderly enjoying their old school delicacies, and children with beaming and curious faces enjoying their day out.
I also passed by Chinatown point, which had an interesting exhibition where they were displaying the fortunes of the twelve zodiac. I looked for mine, and thankfully enough, the new year seems to be a smooth sailing one for me. Thia added an extra skip to my step and made me look forward to the upcoming year.
Interestingly enough, there was also a library which I visited. It was an incredible place and designed so it resembles an a traditional Chinese mansion interior, with traditional brown carved wooden door panels and paper covered doors. The chairs were also of the traditional chinese wood carved design, which added to the traditional feel of the library. What an amazingly thoughtful place to have a design that blended in and added to the tradition, nostalgia as well as heritage of Chinatown.
I also passed by a old school stall selling the traditional roasted chestnuts. It was fascinating to me, to see the chestnuts being stirred circularly in a silver pot with coffee beans. The aroma in the air was certainly appetizing and I bought a packet to try. It was interesting de-shelling the chestnuts the retro way versus buying a packet from the supermarket and added to the fun traditional experience I was having on the day.
These were the highlights of my day visiting Chinatown and I am very grateful that the air of traditions and festivities is still well and alive in the modern world. I can only imagine how our ancestors had celebrated it millennia past and how the future generations would celebrate it millennia to come.
It is my sincere hope that everyone in the world, present and future, will continue to be able to enjoy this timeless tradition that is Lunar New Year. I wish everyone reading this a healthy, prosperous, abundant and joyful Chinese New Year. Thank you for reading this.