Local traditions and culture in Negeri Johor

Chinese New Year wouldn't be complete without a taste of some fine home cooking. There are a number of good cooks in my husband's family and my sister in law cooked some fish maw, with chicken & chinese musrooms. The broth was light and clear and not too oily.

I have to tell you folks that it was totally delicious!

Some typical tid-bits at New Year would include Ground Nuts (those imported from Shandong or Ipoh Ngan Yin Brand are favourites), slices of grilled meat,* mandarin oranges, Nien Kou*** and canned soft drinks.

**details of where to buy are featured in my shopping tips
*** sticky glutinous rice cakes that are brown in colour and always offered to the God of Heaven

Fresh flowers for the altar are a must at Chinese New Year. Bright yellow Chrysantemums, violet orchids and multi-coloured daisies were the choice of my mum-in-law who bought them from the market. They don't cost very much, but do certainly make the altar bright and cheerful. If you cut the stalk and change the water every day, the flowers could last for up to a week.

The pineapple is a popular fruit during the Chinese New Year. It's auspicious sounding name Ong Lai (in Hokkien) is phonetically the same as the phrase "Luck Comes" to herald in a prosperous new year.

The picture (click to enlarge) shows three varieties of pineapple, in the middle is the regular pineapple which can be eaten, and on either end are the smaller variety that has tinges of purple and is placed at the altar to beautify the offerings on the altar. As far as I know, this last two varieties are never eaten and is uses to prayers and decoration only.

Giving out hampers to relatives, friends and particularly to business associates is popular among Malaysians. Priced at attractive and auspicious sounding prices of RM68, 88, 118, and so on, they are typically filled with canned fruits, canned shellfish, dried mushrooms, a bottle of wine or orange cordial, chocolates and nuts.

They may be purchased at supermarkets and brought along with you when you visit your friend. Alternatively, you may have them delivered to your business associates, with a suitable note of appreciation attached. As hampers are a wide-spread custom, it is not viewed as a bribe, unless the contents are unusually expensive.

The picture shows an array of hampers for sale before Chinese New Year.

Dried meat is sold and enjoyed throughout the year but during the Chinese New Year, the sale of this delicious delicacy increases a hundredfold.

Put away your calorie counter and cholesterol charts, the thinly sliced meat that is marinated in sugar, superior soy sauce and other secret ingredients, then grilled on an open fire will blow your socks away!

For Prosperity:

The lime tree is a must for those welcoming the Chinese New Year. It is also known as Kam kat (in the Cantonese dialect) or Kek La (in the Hokkien dialect) and signifies prosperity and good luck.

The colour of the ripe fruit, Kam or gold is beieved to bring longevity and success, while Kat is phonetically the same as the word that means "fortunate" and "auspicious".

Each tree costs between RM30-68 and vendors do brisk sales about 1 week before Chinese New Year.

Next to the lime trees you can also see chrysanthemum plants which are often purchased to brighten up the house for the New Year while the flowers are often placed at altars.

Cookies which used to be made at home are now mass-produced because many Chinese women now hold jobs and work outside of their homes so they simply have no time to make any cookies.

The custom of receiving ang pows (red packets filled with money) is a bit like gift-giving during Christmas, but without the headache of what gift to choose for whom! Instead, the amount of money will depend on the giver's income level and how close the giver is to the person receiving. The highest amounts are usually given to one's own children (RM50-100), while visiting neighbourhood children may receive a token sum (RM2-5).

Unmarried adults continue to receive ang pows from their parents and may sometimes be asked by well-meaning or nosy relatives "When are you going to get married?" Those who are married but who don't have any kids will be subjected to the question "when are you planning to start a family?" or words to that effect...