In my family home in Johor Baru, my parents, both Peranakans, celebrate Chinese New Year in a slightly different way from the other Chinese. A month before Chinese New Year, Mama would have bought cloth to make pyjamas for her six sons and the two daughters. Mama would be busy making kuih lapis, kuih bangkit and acar and preparing the spices for the chicken dish. We then squeezed into the car and head to Siang Lim Park in Singapore where my maternal grandmother resided. Mama brought out her tiffin carrier with her homemade acar, soup, chicken and other dishes, and our family would eat these.

Source: The Star February 19, 2021 06:56 UTC