Hi, this is Kiyomi. I am in charge of SDGs activities at the Singapore branch.

This year’s Chinese (Lunar) New Year was from 10 to 12 February. The Singapore branch’s CNY dinner party, which had been suspended for a while due to the Covid 19 pandemic, was held on February 16th.

How do we celebrate Chinese New Year?

In Singapore, Lo Hei is held during Chinese New Year. Lo Hei means “toss” in Cantonese. Everyone gathered around the table and lifted the ingredients of a salad-like dish called “Yusheng”, which consists of sashimi and vegetables mixed with spice and a sweet sauce, tossing the ingredients into the air with long chopsticks while chanting “Lo Hei” and making wishes and hopes. It is said that the higher you raise the ingredients, the better luck you will have. Although there is a lot of mess on the table, we eat the Yu sheng mixed after the Lo Hei.

This is what it looks like to doing Lo Hei.

The ingredients are very simple. Fish (salmon, smoked salmon or steamed abalone), shredded vegetables (carrots, radish, red pickled ginger, cucumber or green radish/papaya), peanuts, sesame seeds, fried square crackers, pepper, cinnamon, oil, lime, sweet plum sauce. Each ingredient has a meaning. Family harmony, longevity, health, promotion, wealth, money luck, good fortune, business prosperity, etc.

Of course, the meal is a Chinese course.

This year, Chai Shen Yi, the God of Fortune, also appeared for our dinner.

Team game to make this year’s Chinese zodiac character for dragon with mandarin oranges.

Let’s hope for a good year for everyone.