Thursday, December 22, 2011

Happy Winter Solstice

Today, the Chinese celebrate Winter Solstice or Dong Zhi in mandarin. It is also my nephew Benjamin's birthday today whose birthday falls on this chinese festival every year. Winter Solstice is the day where families get together and celebrate a good meal while not forgetting to have Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan is made of glutinous rice flour balls which symbolise reunion, serve together with sweet soup.

Like most years since I got married, we always go back to my hubby's hometown in Seremban to celebrate by just having a good meal and Tang Yuan. This year since it falls on a weekday, so we already celebrated it earlier last Saturday. My mother in-law cooked up a storm and I think we had about 8 dishes of food that day! Sorry no picture because as usual I didn't want them to think I'm a freak. LOL. So after that scrumptious dinner, Elizabeth kept pestering us to do something. And what is that mysterious thing you might ask. The story goes like this. That Saturday morning, my hubby saw a stall selling sky lanterns at the market and he bought it. I thought sky lanterns were usually released on Chap Goh Mei which falls on the 15th day of the chinese lunar year. But hubby thought it would be nice to release it on Winter Solstice just for the fun of it. It would be fun for the children too. Which is why Elizabeth kept pestering us to start releasing the lantern right after dinner because she was excited. So this year the celebration had something out of the ordinary for us with the sky lanterns or some call them wish lanterns. 

Hubby bought 3 lanterns but we only released 2 on that day. Each lantern had a special wish printed on it. It was a fun experience for the children. They were so excited to see it go up into the sky. Joseph was having fun running under the lantern while we light up the fire and waited for the lantern to swell. He made my heart jumped out of my chest many times because I was so worried his hair will catch fire! *shakes my head*

As mentioned earlier, Winter Solstice day is also my nephew Benjamin's birthday. As I'm typing here, my mum, sister and nephews are on their way up to KL. So tonight, we will be celebrating Benjamin's birthday. Happy Birthday Benjamin! You're a big boy already and here's wishing you a good life ahead and be a good boy ok? Happy Winter Solstice or Dong Zhi Jie Kuai Le!

My Christmas holidays begins tomorrow, so I won't be posting till my holidays are over. Hence, wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year filled with peace, joy and good tidings!

*Picture courtesy of knowingfood.com*
I didn't take a picture of my mother in-law's tang yuan so here's a picture closest to how hers looked like.

My hubby attaching the candle on the wire. 

The sky lantern is lighted up!

My excited children and my sister in-law waiting for the lantern to heat up.

The wish on the lantern is "Xin Xiang Shi Cheng" right? Hey! My chinese still can pakai lah. Not bad, not bad. But erm..what is the meaning ah?

A pic without cropping just to show how high the sky lantern was and how it looked from where I stand. Up, up and away! Bye bye sky lantern!

10 comments:

  1. Wow! Your Winter Solstice is so happening eh! You take break for Christmas so early. Envy. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  2. xin xiang shi cheng means whatever your heart desires, you will obtain it, I think. Haha, my Chinese cannot pakai. I always see it on tv but I never knew that you could get the wish lanterns in Malaysia. In any case, I think your children really enjoyed it. There's nothing like watching the joy on their faces right?

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  3. My chinese lagi tak boleh pakai - I don't even know how to say that!

    Nice lantern. Reminds me of Rapunzel. Happy Birthday to your nephew and here's wishing you a great holiday and Christmas! XO :)

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  4. Happy Winter Solstice to u & family too!

    Eh I thought the paper lantern thing is banned? Not sure la.. thought I read it somewhere...

    I also always kena ejek everytime I whipped out my camera want to take pics as yes, it's for the blog... so nowadays have to control this habit already :P

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  5. I saw pasar malam selling this lantern. We dont dare to get it since our house is near the airport..LOL

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  6. Happy New Year to you and your family. The paper lantern is getting very popular these days.

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  7. Happy New year to you & your loved ones!

    Niecly captured event. The last pix is nice & the exposure is spot on.

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  8. I missed tong yuan this year, and I've not eaten it in many years. sad right? Now I see it, I'm craving for it!!!! hahaha.

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  9. @Sheoh Yan, happening eh? We try to make it happening when we have children. Yeah will usually take break for Christmas earlier since we celebrate Christmas.

    @sunsetrose, not bad you can translate it for me. hehe. your chinese memang can pakai lar. yeah, i also never knew can get it quite easily.

    @Germaine, hehe..it's ok. I'm also lousy in chinese. You know, I've never watched Rapunzel until recently and now I know why you said it reminded you of the movie..;) Never knew the Westerners also play these lanterns.

    @Jenny, yeah heard it was banned also. But we just try our luck.

    @Yee Ling, hahahah is it? buy it and keep it until you go back hometown?

    @Barbara, yeah I guess so. Maybe you can get one for Ashley. :)

    @de engineur, happy new year again! Thanks!

    @martha, how come you haven't eaten tong yuan for years?

    ReplyDelete
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