Chinese New Year 2015

This year's Chinese New Year (CNY) began on February 19.  That put Chinese New Year's Eve on February 18, and already then the shops started shutting down and the customary reunion dinners began.  Some of us went to the mall the evening of February 18.

The parking garage is usually very full.  This evening, many 

people were visiting in homes as part of CNY tradition.

Malls in Singapore are usually packed with people.

We are still learning how much we need to stock up on groceries around Chinese New Year! Not only are shops closed, but when they reopen, the shelves are empty because no one is making any deliveries.  It is amazing how much this holiday shuts down the island.  But it is a very important holiday for the people here in part because of the amount of visits with family and friends that they may not see that often throughout the year.

Jim VanOverloop was able to get a good taste of CNY and all the traditions that surround it. He and a few others were invited to the home of Felix & Angela Chan on CNY Eve, and afterwards they all went downtown for the festivities there.  (Thanks to Bernice for these pictures!)

Dinner at the Chans'

Tightrope walker with the Singapore Flyer in the distance

Bernice and Jessica

Isaac and Eric

Fireworks over the bay

There was another large celebration in Chinatown.

One of the interesting cultural things related to Chinese New Year is lion dancers.  Lion dance troupes travel from place to place throughout Chinese New Year, with two people dressing up as a lion (one the head and one the body), and others along to play instruments. They are hired by shops to come and dance for them, thus bringing good luck and wealth to the shops in the new year.  One website said there is a mirror on the head of the lion where evil spirits will see themselves and be scared away by their own reflections.  There is so much superstition involved in these customs!

Passing a lion dance troupe on the road today

A lion dancer performing near our place a few days ago

Today a lion dance troupe came back to our neighborhood and went around to all of the shops, performing their rituals at each one.  A few of the kids and I went down there to watch and observed something very interesting at the place where the girls get their hair cut.  The woman who cuts their hair came out of her shop to grab some joss sticks, then went back in and kneeled down before an altar that is always set up in there.  After a minute the lion dancers followed her in and kneeled before that altar for a minute too.  I was able to get a video of part of the ritual:

But among all the worldly customs and superstitions, God's people here can celebrate Chinese New Year in their own way.  Besides spending time with family and friends, CERC has its own CNY Visitation each year.  This year three homes were opened for people to go today for fellowship, an exhortation, singing, and lunch.

Lunch

Fellowship after lunch

This year is the Year of the Goat or the Year of the Sheep/Ram.  (The Chinese character for goat can also refer to sheep or rams.)  How fitting that Daniel 8 talks about both a ram and a goat, and so that was the text for the Sunday morning sermon the week Chinese New Year began.  We were reminded that in all the rises and falls of nations, and in the coming persecution for the church, Christ is working out His counsel. We trust in Him to guide us by that counsel in this new lunar new year.