The Annual Reunion

The Chinese New Year reunion dinner is regarded as a very important get-together for Chinese families. Through the years of modernisation, many traditional rituals have been done away with but the reunion dinner remains central to the Chinese New Year celebrations. In fact, it begins with the reunion of family members, some of whom travel long distances to be reunited with family for that important meal.

It is reported that in China, to have reunion dinner with their families on Chinese New Year's Eve, people scramble to leave for their hometowns by all means - train, coach, airplane, ship, self-driving, motorcycles and even bicycles, making the largest annual human migration in the world. A record 3.41 billion trips are expected to be made over this year's Lunar New Year travel rush. However, there are also those who opt to  go away for a holiday during Chinese New Year, giving the reunion dinner a miss altogether.

Traditionally, daughters who have been "married off" will not get together with their own families but have the reunion dinner with their husbands' families. However, this tradition too has become more relaxed. I observe that some of my friends take turns with their husbands to celebrate the reunion dinner, alternating between his and her home one year and the next. In the old days, this would have been strictly forbidden by the husband's family.

In the old days too, the traditional dishes of fish, prawns, chicken, mushrooms, to name a few, would be home cooked but now, quite a number of  families prefer to eat out. The restaurants enjoy roaring business on that day, many offering set meal packages.  Many Singaporeans are opting to have their Chinese New Year reunion dinner in Johor Baru as it is cheaper compared to restaurants in the island republic.

What is the significance of the reunion dinner? It can be a meaningful get-together especially if siblings and family members have not seen each other for a long time. Or it could be just another annual, obligatory meal. It all depends on how we choose to  regard it. To me, it is about spending time with family, over a sumptious meal and  the celebration of another milestone, a year gone by.

I have been having the reunion dinner at my in-laws since I got married. My mother was a fantastic cook. She could whip up restaurant style dishes such as sharksfin soup, four seasons, butter prawns, claypot treasure, steamed pomfret, etc for reunion dinner.  This year,  my mother will not be cooking.  My siblings will be buying food and converging at my parents' house. My mother is  the cement that glues my family together. I hope to continue enjoying my parents'  presence in my life for some years to come.