Decked out for Chinese New Year with an eye on keeping traditions alive

FINE vintage furniture retailer Lynette Wong still reminisces about the Chinese New Year celebrations in 2020.

"That was our last big celebration, where we had 20 people staying with us and it was a tad crowded but so much fun," she recalls.

It was just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, when her relatives from Kuala Lumpur and her daughter's friends from England came over for the festivities, and there was no limit to the number of visitors one could have.

"Chinese New Year is always a family affair, so if not for the pandemic, we will always have friends and family staying with us," says Wong, who lives in a black-and-white house off Alexandra Road with her husband and 3 grown children.

Like last year, this year's celebrations will be a muted affair, but that hasn't stopped her from keeping traditions alive.

For a start, decorating the home is a must, says Wong, who owns 1B2G IMPORTANT DESIGN along Henderson Road.

She takes charge of the decorating and, with her eye for style, she's managed to deck out the home tastefully.

"It is easy to go over the top and pile on lots of red. I don't want that," she says.

It also helps that her home is filled with vintage furniture that complements the festive decor.

To welcome visitors, there are pots of chrysanthemums outside the home. Chrysanthemums signify longevity and are also a symbol of nobility.

Wong has these floral blooms instead of the typical mandarin orange because "the squirrels living in the neighbourhood will eat them and make such a mess", she says.

In the foyer, the massive Astral bench by Per Borre for Fredericia takes centre stage. On a side table, Wong has placed pussy willows, a box of oranges and firecracker decorations on it. A large Chinese knot hangs on the main door, and there's more decoration on the walls to add colour to the foyer.

For her living room, Wong takes a more subtle approach to decorating, since the space is already filled with lots of iconic, mid-century furniture that she pairs with contemporary art. There are vases of yellow and orange festive blooms, such as chrysanthemums, peonies and orchids.

Over in the dining room, Wong puts together a centrepiece using plum blossoms and peonies.

Besides the decorating, Wong also takes charge of ordering the snacks. Her must-haves are pineapple tarts, which she has been ordering from the same home baker for the past decade, kueh bangkit, and nian gao which she gets from the Chinese New Year fair at Takashimaya.

"And of course, we cannot forget bak kwa, because this is the only time during the year that we have it," says Wong.

For meals, her mum does the cooking, but Wong helps with the marketing.

Her mum cooks up a special menu for reunion dinner and also for the first day of Chinese New Year. The table would be heaving with dishes such as mee siam or assam laksa, glutinous rice, braised beef shin, pig stomach with abalone soup, pengcai and yusheng.

Wong declares with pride: "Mum makes every dish from scratch."

Wong, who grew up in Kuala Lumpur, fondly remembers that when she was younger, Chinese New Year meant driving down to Singapore to catch up with her paternal relatives. "We would stay with an aunt who was living in Singapore," she says.

The tables have since turned. Since her home is spacious, Wong's home is now the venue for the festive meals.

Some other traditions have not changed. The family still makes it a point to wear new clothes in festive colours for the first day of Chinese New Year. "And ang paos are still given to the kids and also to our elders," says Wong.

She will still be throwing her doors open to visitors and, as with previous years, will be visiting a group of close friends too.

"We will make do with smaller groups of visitors over the few days, unlike the big celebrations we would have before," she says.

Despite the muted celebrations, Wong still considers Chinese New Year one of her favourite times of the year.

"I like it better when it falls in mid-February, so that the festivities can go on longer," she says. "It is always so much fun celebrating Christmas, New Year's, my husband's and my birthdays, and then Chinese New Year."