This week, Chinese people around the world will inaugurate the Year of the Ox with family and friends, lucky foods and customs, all designed to bring good luck after a tumultuous year.
In tightly controlled Singapore, the government is allowing the festivities to go ahead during a Covid period, but its leaders are begging the nation to exercise restraint in verbalizing Chinese New Year phrases, or risk fines and imprisonment.
“The emphatic expression of auspicious sayings” is not allowed in restaurants, according to the country’s recently updated legal statutes, which signal a popular ritual called “Lo-Hei”, a Cantonese expression that means wasting good luck.
Common in Singapore and Malaysia, the custom revolves around a dish called Yusheng, which is a mix of shredded vegetables, pickled fruits, raw fish, crispy strips and spices. As ingredients and condiments are added, the individuals gathered around the plate cry out for abundance, love, professional success and good grades. The group then uses chopsticks to mix and toss the ingredients in the air to announce the New Year with warmest wishes, in what is typically a turbulent and confusing event.
Before the Year of the Ox, which begins on February 12, ethnic Chinese residents – who make up the majority of Singapore’s 5.7 million population – usually eat several meals with the colorful dish.