PETALING JAYA, Feb 11 — For the Baba Nyonya community, Chinese New Year is a time for them to showcase their authentic culinary skills through cooking traditional meals and delicacies.

The community traces back their origins to 15th century Malacca when Chinese merchants came to the Malay archipelago married local Malay women and have preserved their local customs.

For many of them, Chinese New Year is one of the busiest times of the year, a time for them to continue practicing their unique customs and to usher in the New Year with their family members.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association immediate past president Cedric Tan who hails from Malacca told MalayMail that he normally prepares rempah, a paste containing different spices that is used for most of the Baba Nyonya dishes.

"Among the food that I use the rempah for are the Pongteh (chicken stew), Itek Tim (salted vegetable duck soup), Ayam Buah Keluak (braised chicken with black nuts), Hati Babi Bungkus (pork and chicken liver meatballs) and Ngoh Hiang (crispy meat rolls).

"But with the movement control order (MCO) this year, most of the dishes would be prepared in lesser quantities because not many are allowed to crowd in a house.

"For the community, celebrating the New Year is a very special occasion, so cooking Peranakan dishes or baking delicacies are a must because we need to offer them to our ancestors on the eve.”

Honouring ancestors on Chinese New Year eve

While most of the Baba Nyonya communities subscribe to the traditional Chinese beliefs such as Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, a small portion of the community are Christians and Catholics.

And Tan, a sixth generation Baba from Melaka is a Buddhist who will be honouring his ancestors’ spirits at home on the eve.

The ritual is known as the sembahyang abu.

"For families that do not have permanent altars with the ancestral tables at home, they will usually have a makeshift altar and employ the invitational method of welcoming their ancestors’ spirits coupled with a grand feast at home.

"The ancestors’ spirits are entreated with joss sticks when we call out their names and they are invited back home at the house entrance.

"After that, a grand feast is offered to them from morning to late afternoon before sending our ancestors' spirits home. Later in the evening we have our reunion dinner till late at night."

Ushering in the Chinese New Year 

A feast of traditional Baba Nyonya meals will be usually offered to ancestors' spirits on the eve of Chinese New Year festivities. — Picture courtesy of Cedric Tan.

The one tradition that Tan is looking forward to on Chinese New Year is welcoming the New Year with a whiff of stanggi fumes, a home-made incense made of sandalwood, sugarcane and agalwood.

"The setanggi is usually burnt during festive and joyous occasions such as wedding ceremonies as it gives off a fragrant scent, but it’s hardly in production anymore."

But the Baba Nyonyas are also particular about opening the doors to usher in the New Year.

"Once the main door is closed on the eve, it will not be open until the next morning. 

"Any family member who returns home late will either have to use the side or back door and we will usher in the new year, the next day at about 7am.”

Tan said that a red banner would be hung on the door symbolising happiness and good luck while allowing the household to usher on New Year's day.

: A pair of red candles and angpows would be given to newly married couples on CNY. —Picture courtesy of Cedric Tan

He added that his siblings who are based in Malacca would gather to usher in the New Year where they pay respects to the elders through the sohjah, where the family conveys filial piety.

"During the sohjah, the men kneel down where the women sit in a sembah style to wish the elders good life and good health according to the order of seniority.

"But looking at the current situation, we might not be able to see and welcome all our other family members and friends, so a Zoom video call might likely be the only solution this year.”

Tone down celebration amid MCO

Tan said that this year will be a quiet Chinese New Year celebration as there will be fewer friends and family members visiting homes.

"I’m grateful to still have my siblings who are in Malacca with me and we will still be preserving our traditions, although it will be on a much lower scale this year.

"We have to make do with the MCO this year and this also means that we can spend more time with family through calls.”

He said that he was still fortunate to be able to keep his traditions alive amidst the MCO and hopes that he would be able to spend more time with his immediate family members.