It’s Chinese New Year (CNY) week—a time to gather with family, friends, and loved ones. May you have a meaningful and joyous celebration with those who matter most. This year, we won’t be returning to Petaling Jaya (PJ). For some of us, CNY stirs up memories of home—or “Jia Ting.” I think of the traditional dishes Mum would prepare for our Reunion Dinner: Jiu Hu Eng Chye, Chap Chye, and Steamed Chicken.
Mum would also bake and sell cookies like Kueh Kapek, Kuih Bangkit, Peanut Cookies, and Pineapple Tarts. These treats were synonymous with CNY, and many bought them as gifts. Growing up, I often helped with the baking. Mum’s cookies were so popular that they sold out quickly, leaving some of her friends disappointed when there were no more tins left. Weeks before CNY, we’d work tirelessly, filling aluminum milk tins with cookies to be sold. I’d often end the day dusted in white flour, a proud little helper in her kitchen. It wasn’t exactly “free child labor” as Mum made it up to us with generous Ang Pows during the New Year.
Then there were the fireworks, firecrackers, and, of course, the gambling—mahjong and card games. I especially loved playing poker, though I was a terrible loser, often sulking and crying when my bluffs didn’t work. Becoming a Christian at 13 thankfully put an end to both gambling and my childish tantrums.
On the eighth day of CNY, a whole roast pig would sometimes make its appearance. As a young boy, I was mesmerized by the sight of the pig, its face staring back at me, eyes closed, while the smoke from joss sticks added a mystic air to the atmosphere. But let’s be honest—the pig was more about feasting than praying!
These memories make me nostalgic, and I could reminisce endlessly. Over the years, each trip back to PJ for CNY was an attempt to recreate these traditions. But as family members and relatives passed on, it became harder and harder to relive them.
Now, the reality is that these “Jia Ting” traditions will evolve here in Singapore, where we’ve built a new home—though, sadly, without those with whom so many loving memories were created. Still, some traditions live on. Mum’s Choi Keok (or Chai Buay), Chap Chye, and Fried Hakka Pork remain cherished staples, even if they’re not quite what they used to be.
I hope to do my part to keep these traditions alive and pass them down. After all, CNY is more than the food, the noise, or even the nostalgia—it’s about family and the bonds that make a house a home.
I am feeling nostalgic, and so, here goes:
My Jia Ting
They came. They lived.
Oh, the noise they made—
The bangs and booms
The choking smells of smoke
The laughter and dishes
The comforting smells of home.
Now... it is silent.
Only memories linger,
Echoes of the heart,
Dances on my palate,
Passing faces.
Like spring,
New flowers will bloom,
New voices will fill the air,
New aromas will weave their tales.
One day,
We too.
A fading presence.
A silent presence.
Yet Jia Ting will endure,
Renewed and transformed,
She will live on.
Your faithfulness continues through all generations… Psalm 119:90
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