Another Festival Around the Corner

The Christmas spirit is yet hovering with the Christmas trees and decorations still in much evidence at the shopping malls.

However red is the favored color making its presence felt as the next festival is just three weeks away. The Lunar Year, the Year of the Dragon is waiting in the wings to emerge next month. As such, displays featuring red ornaments, red paper lanterns,flowers, small decorative lion heads and different soft toys in the shape of dragons are everywhere.

Even in the street markets, canisters of Chinese New Year cookies are in full display, with samples for customers to try before the vendors coax them to buy. These are the home-made cookies, which taste better than those produced commercially en masse.

Among the different varieties are the Dragon biscuits, pineapple tarts, peanut cookies,arrowroot crisps, seaweed crisps, love letters (crispy wafer like biscuits made from egg, coconut milk & flour , etc.

CLothing displayed in the shops are also red and the designs have mandarin collars and Chinese buttons. Some dresses even have the dragon motif embroidered or painted on them.
The Chinese community await the coming of the Dragon Lunar Year with great anticipation and the children look forward to receiving their money gifts in auspicious red envelopes, some of which have special designs, such as Angry Birds.