NTUC FairPrice recently posted on their Facebook page with a ‘cheat sheet’ on what are the auspicious greetings and sayings that are commonly said during the adding of ingredients into ‘Yu Sheng’ for as well as the tossing process during ‘Lo Hei’ in the Chinese New Year period.
The cheat sheet even comes with a voice assistant for those who do not know how to read or get the actual pronunciation for these greetings.
History & Meaning of Yu Sheng
According to Asia Society’s website, this is a brief history of the history of Yu Sheng.
“Yusheng is a customary Lunar New Year dish, traditionally served on the 7th day of Chinese New Year, known locally in Singapore as renri.
Renri means “every man’s birthday” with people becoming a year older on this day.
In the past, yusheng was only eaten on renri, however these days it is normal for a family to eat yusheng numerous times throughout the New Year period and it is usually served at the start of every meal.
At home, or even in restaurants, yusheng is not simply something you eat; behind yusheng lies a ritual that brings together family, colleagues, and friends.
An important part of yusheng is the specific order that the ingredients must be added one by one, each accompanied by a different New Year wish.
For example, salmon is the first to go in, with the server reciting the Chinese idiom “nian-nian-you-yu” which hopes for abundance throughout the year.
The rest of the ingredients are added in order, all having their own wishes highlighting prosperity, good luck and success for the year ahead.
Once all of the ingredients have been prepared, everyone seated around the table will stand up to toss the yusheng using chopsticks, a ritual called “lo hei” (meaning to rise), for the person who tosses yusheng the highest is thought to achieve rising prosperity.
This is why the big plate is necessary for the tossing of yusheng as the food can go everywhere with the ritual being filled with lots of energy; you can also expect people to yell “huat ah!”, meaning prosperity.
Other New Year wishes are shouted loudly during the ritual, and although lo hei can cause disruption to other diners, it is always an extremely happy occasion with everyone participating.
Since Lunar New Year is the only time of the year when we eat yusheng, eating it during any other time would undermine the meaning and atmosphere of this celebratory occasion.
When eating yusheng, the dish takes on the underlying idea of a happy family reunion, a gathering of wealth with colleagues, the ushering in of good luck with friends and the increasing prosperity for all Chinese who celebrate.”
Voice Assistant of greetings
For those who want to learn about the greetings or even learn it to impress your friends and family for the Lo Hei session this year, you may check out the voice assistant from FairPrice here.
They also have the usual CNY greetings on their website which you can tune in and learn.
Image source: NTUC FairPrice/Facebook, unsplash.com