The Stories of our Daily Life (4) New Year Atmosphere

New Year was around the corner, decoration was everywhere. Traditional New Year songs and music, old or newly composed, either broadcasting by TV and radio or individually played by residents or shops owners.

Shirley looked at John "They said, it is difficult to go back to those days" Both of them sat on the sofa at the resting corner provided by the shopping mall.  John's eyesight was at the far end of the shopping mall.  When he was a youngster, about quite some years ago, he could use only ten cents to buy quite a tasteful breakfast. He only played games of football, table tennis, basket ball, chess and others.  Presently the youngster were crazy about computer games, each of them were having a hand phone or other mini electronic devices at hand.

   

John pulled himself back "It is true, but then, we are enjoying the NewYear atmosphere which is more than we had enjoyed before.  The New Year atmosphere is different for this year and it is one year better then another year" Shirley said nothing and quietly enjoying old New Year songs with new environment. Dragon dance were everywhere, especially on the first few days of The Chinese New Year.  Usually the shopping malls were having dragon dance annually, when there were shows of dragon dance, there were always fire crackers around. Those dragon dance and fire crackers added the traditional Chinese New Year atmosphere. The Chinese New Year started day one of the lunar calendar first day of the lunar calendar until the fifteenth day which was the last day of Chinese New Year and all celebration would end at that day.

Shirley talked to John “I still like those old days, even though, nowadays there are so many new additions to the New Year atmosphere, the technology is so advanced that things are so much more beautiful than those days. But then, the feelings I am having is not quite the same.”

John shared the same feelings, the dragon dance, it was so common, and it was so friendly and caring.  It was the first day of the New Year some years back.  John was so eagerly waited for the day break of the first day of New Year. His mother would place four oranges at the bottom and one more on top of the four; the five oranges were placed on a plate that was on a stool.  The stool would be on outside, at the front door of their house, an ampow (Red packet containing few ringgit) was at the side of the plate. Their neighbor would place a string tied up an ampow containing a few ringgit and hung it a few feet high. Their other neighbor would tied up a string of fire crackers and hung it up a few feet high.

The team of dragon dance would go over each and every house, they would dance and the drum beats would went along. Different way of displays attracted certain pattern of dragon dance.  Year after year, they would go around each and every house, each and every shop house. They would collect whatever the house owner offered, be it the ampow only contained one ringgit. Their purpose of visiting, it was to wish each and every one a happy new year.

Right now and would be in the future, a dragon dance would only be at our house by pre-booking, pre-arranged and ampow would also pre-determined the amount.

This is what they said our new way of daily life. The old song will not be sung as the old days should be; it has to add something here and there. 

Bye bye and bye bye, good old days, see you only in those days.

Next Topic (5) New Year Back Home

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