1 Apr 2022
Chinese New Year means fun for everyone! Thai people have long adopted the fun, festivities and traditions of the Lunar New Year celebration not just in Thailand but within the Black Monster family. In fact, many of the philosophies and practices of the New Year celebration are similar to the Songkran Festival that Thai people celebrate…these include paying respects to our ancestors and family bonds.
This year, Chinese New Year began on February 1, 2022, and we at Black Monster did not pass up this opportunity to celebrate! We held many activities with our Black Monster family members that allowed us to strengthen our ties with each other and enjoy ourselves! Check them out below:
There are always certain dishes and food items that bear especially significant value during New Year celebrations. As an example, it is almost vital that a fish dish is prepared during celebrations, as the word “fish” in the Chinese language is pronounced as “yu”. It sounds the same as “youw” meaning “to have” …therefore signifying having abundance. Additionally, wontons in whatever form, whether steamed, fried or boiled, whether filled with minced pork, shrimp, beef or vegetables, are also auspicious and symbolic. This is largely due to the shape of the wonton – its similarity to ancient Chinese money or “Yuanbao” makes eating wontons on New Year symbolic of wealth.
Fruits are always a popular hit when it comes to cleaning our palate and maintaining our health, but did you know that orange varieties also have meaning for the Chinese New Year celebrations? Oranges in all its forms such as mandarins, tangerines or pomelos are not just consumed, they are also given out and shared among friends and loved ones. This is because the round appearance of oranges symbolise harmony, also because of its gold color and finally because the word “orange” in Chinese language is pronounced “cheng” which is similar to the word that means success. So there you go, the next time Chinese New Year rolls around, make sure you stock up on those yummy oranges!
Angpaos are “red packets” or “envelopes” that contain money, usually given out by older family members to younger and unmarried members of the family signifying the passing of luck and prosperity. The colour red signifies auspiciousness, liveliness, and luckiness. The usual amount of money given is the lucky number 8, which also is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. We at Black Monster wish for happiness and good luck for all our staff, and this year, we shared Angpaos with all our employees.
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