Every year Chinese New Year we would be having our reunion eve dinner together, this year also the same.
It is a family tradition that Papa would play the firecrackers first before we have our reunion dinner.
Normally on this day or the day before, Brother Andrew would bring along his son Wei Qing go and find a long stick or bamboo stick. They used this bamboo stick to tie the long coil of firecrackers, so that it can hang up high.
All the brave boys would go and lit up the firecrackers: Lyndon, Triston and Wei Qing with the help of their fathers.
Issac and Annabelle would hide in the living room, with both hands cover their ears, watching the firecrackers through the windows.
It was really loud and it can last for almost 5 to 10 minutes.
After the firecrackers, then it is official that we can sit down and have our reunion dinner.
The dinner normally cooked by Mama, Sister Anna and Sister Minah. I helped on the washing dishes and cleaning up after the dinner.
This year, we had ginger steamed fish, fried mix vegetables with cashew nuts, braised duck, and the fish maw mushroom chicken soup. Brother Andrew bought some sateys as well.
We sat in separate two dining tables. Issac and Annabelle really enjoy Mama’s cooking especially the soup.
After the dinner, I was busy washing the dishes together with Sister Minah cleaned up the kitchen cooking areas as well.
All the children went outside the house and play the firecrackers and fireworks.
We can hear the noise of the firecrackers and fireworks from the neighborhood and the nearby area. Issac played the fireworks together with his older cousins.
The firecrackers and fireworks brighten up the night of the Chinese New Year Eve until to midnight and officially marked the first day of Chinese New Year.