Happy Dong Zhi 2006

Dong zhi is around the corner. Although Christmas and New year is always celebrate about the same time but to me this is just an ordinary day. I brought up in typical chinese family back ground.. Winter solstice a very important festival and its bring me a lots of sweet childhood memories

Dong zhi is actually fall on 22 Dec... and this is the only chinese festival that is fixed on the same date every year.
I have this Tangyuan in my fridge that I bought from tesco quite sometime ago. As usual, i will keep everything until expired... but this round, the tangyuan is just at the right timing... i don't think i will go shopping this few days... i actually stock-up some frozen foods few weeks back for my dinner caused my hubby is going outstation for 2 weeks.... hehehe I couldn't believe i can skip so many dinners :) or else no more tangyuan...
this year dong zhi is on Friday and just a coincident that i will go to my colleague bachelor party. ...hmmmm my hubby got work to do and i think its will be yummy to have it for supper with my hubby after the party

Actually i am asking my hubby to celebrate dongzhi almost every year..... hemmmm he brought up in malay kampung...and don't have much feeling about this special festival.
For the pass few years, i normally will go to any chinese restaurant and order some special dishes to celebrate the big day but its really "lang ching ching"!!!! and don't really have any "dong jit hei fen" at all.
its will never be the same even i am going back to celebrate with my parent nowdays. its just not same but i will keep the good memories in my heart... don't know why, probably just the feeling or the way we see thing is not the same anymore.

i really miss this.

• The smell of jostick, chinese celery and the chinese rice wine for the prayer..
• The taste of "pak jam kai" and the special dish by my mum... with the warm feeling of eating with the whole families and the treasure of being compete with my siblings for nice foods...
• The feeling of Chinese New Year is coming soon... still can hear my mum telling us " sik chor tong yuen, jau tai yat sui ke la, kuo chor dong jau hou fai kuo lin ke la. meaning we are one year older after we took the tangyuen and CNY is coming soon. i always anxiously waiting for CNY and the feeling is like taking few months to reach the day..really long... counting the days... kids ma nothing to do just counting for the day...but now without realise... 2006 almost finish..and my brain still very fresh about y2k and of course now the feeling of CNY is totally different, you will be "tau han"... if you have to budget for your CNY expenses...but i still treasure and enjoying these special days...

I would like to wish everyone Happy Dong zhi. eat more "tang yuan" and hope our chinese tradition will preserve and pass-on to the next generation..

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The Winter Solstice Festival (Chinese: 冬至; Pinyin: dōng zhì; "The Extreme of Winter") is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians on or around December 21 when sunshine is weakest and daylight shortest, i.e. on the day of the winter solstice (see also jiéqì). The origins of this festival can be traced back to the Yin and Yang philosophy of balance and harmony in the cosmos. After this celebration, there will be days with longer daylight hours and therefore an increase in positive energy flowing in. The philosophical significance of this is symbolized by the I Ching hexagram fù (復, "Returning"). Traditionally, the Dongzhi Festival is also a time for the family to get together. One activity that occurs during these get togethers (especially in the southern parts of China and in Chinese communities overseas) is the making and eating of Tangyuan (湯圓, as pronounced in Cantonese; Mandarin Pinyin: Tāng Yuán) or balls of glutinuous rice, which symbolize reunion. Tangyuan are made of glutinuous rice flour and sometimes brightly coloured. Every one in the family receives at least one large Tang Yuan and several small ones. The flour balls may be plain or stuffed. They are cooked in a sweet soup or savoury broth with both the ball and the soup/broth served in one bowl.

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