The first signs of the advent of Chinese New Year

         

Chinese New Year is around the corner, 7 February, which is just 3 weeks away. In Malaysia the first sign of Chinese New Year is when you walk into the shopping malls on 26 December, the day after Christmas and hear the Chinese New Year songs playing in the pipe-in music. It immediately gets you in the mood.

The first place I went was to the flower nursery, to choose the auspicious Chinese New Year plants, before the good ones ran out of stock. Of course it gets cheaper nearing the date but I want the best! You can read all about the plants and the significance in my last blog. I went to my regular nursery in Sungai Buluh, and got myself a dragon pussywillow, which is the latest plant this year. I love this tree because it is alive compared to the standard option which is quite “fake” to me. They made them colourful by soaking the cut stem into coloured liquid, thus the red and yellow pussywillow. I also grabbed the 2 best looking bamboo shoot plant shaped into flower vase. This vase signifies the golden urn where all the prosperity and good luck will be attracted to flow into the urn be kept in. I have to make sure I keep the mouth of the vase open. The next day, I marched back to the next shop to get the must-have plant, the lime plant. The happy colour orange is the colour of gold, thus signifies the tree of gold and prosperity. You can see in the picture the bamboo plant that looks like lotus flower. To quench your curiousity, notice the picture of the sprout growing from the golden egg, it is the lucky egg! You buy the golden egg, chip off the top shell, water it for a few days, and it will sprout. And in anticipation, there will be 4 digit lucky number on the sprout, and for the 4-digit punters out there, they will know what to do!

New plants for Chinese New Year

   

PLANTS are symbols of life and growth. For the Chinese, it is a must to have plants decorating their houses and gardens during the Chinese New Year celebration.  Some of the popular plants are, among others, bamboo shoots, lime trees, cherry blossoms and plum blossoms.   Apart from decorative purposes, each of them carries a special connotation that is usually synonymous with good health, longevity, good fortune, abundance of wealth, business growth and career successes.  Shopping for plants for next month’s Chinese New Year celebration will be more exciting and fun as there are many new choices, some quite out of the ordinary.  At the flower bazaar at the NZX Commercial Centre in Ara Damansara, lime fruit almost as big as pomelos are the big attraction among the shoppers.   “People like to buy these big lime trees as they are very special. Our lime trees are available in different styles. There are the one-tier, three-tier and also eight-tier ones,” Phoenix Ocean marketing director Eric Hong said.   Another newcomer is the dragon pussywillow that comes planted in pots, in contrast to the normal ones that come in vases without soil.  According to Hong, the Chinese love the new pussywillow as it is “alive” and will grow leaves, symbolising growth in many aspects in life.  The Bromeliad (pineapple or “ong lai” flower) in red, purple and yellow is another popular plant since it represents the arrival of fortune. “Ong lai” in Hockkien means “Fortune comes”.  “The plants here are not only suitable for decorating houses and offices; they make great gifts as well,” Hong said.  According to Hong, even non-Chinese purchase the plants because of their vibrancy and uniqueness.  Also available at the bazaar are the bamboo shoots, “change-your-luck” bamboos, bonsai, crystal soil, pussywillows, vases, plastic plants, decorative items and garden fountains.  The bamboo is very popular as a symbol of life, longevity and strength. It stays firmly rooted even in the face of fierce winds. For the Hokkiens, the bamboo plants represent their shelter from the evil demons that terrorised their ancestors during an ancient dark evil era.  The imported plants come from China and Taiwan while the homegrown ones are from Cameron Highlands.  “I will have cherry blossoms, tulips, chrysanthemums and more,” Hong said.   The bazaar, opened since Jan 1, is open from 10am till 11pm daily until the 15th day of Chinese New Year.   For more information, call 016-841 7887 (Jason) or 016-332 2322 (Melvin).  

By THO XIN YI  www.thestar.com.my Saturday January 12, 2008