Though the intention remains the same, Reunion Dinners have changed and modernised over the generations.
Life used to be much simpler. Frugal living was the way of life, and having bread and water as staple everyday food was the way to be. It’s only during New Year’s eve, where after the best food were offer to the gods and ancestors as thanks giving, will there be a feasting and celebration of the year’s passing.
The celebration of this annual reunion differs in northern and southern parts of China. People in northern parts of China prepare dumplings, as a symbol of gold ingots and prosperity in celebrating and the welcoming of a new year. In southern China, glutinous rice balls are a must and are meant to symbolise the harmonious gathering of the family.
The food prepared is usually an expression of the wishes and hopes for the new year. In our modern day, dishes served during reunions are therefore unambiguously name to express good luck and well-wishes for the new year as well.
“Lou Sang” is such a dish that’s popular amongst Malaysians and Singaporeans during reunion dinners. When read in Cantonese, it’s translated as the ability to catch fishes. For traders and businessman, it symbolises the survival, abundance and growth of their businesses; as for the working class, it symbolises progress and promotions in their careers.
Better late than never
With changing times, modernisation has gradually influence and even changed the traditional idea of returning home for reunion dinner on new years’ eve. Must reunion dinners be celebrated at home and only on the eve of the new year? This is no longer the case in today’s context.
Everyone wants to be home for reunion. For some of us who are from outstation working in the cities, the journey home may take hours of travelling. To avoid the heavy traffic and crowd, some chooses to only return home after the eve of the new year.
Miss Yan, who works in a hospital in Singapore, due to work schedule is only able to return on the second day of the new year. She shares “I would love to be home for reunion with my family, but sometimes its beyond my control due to work schedules”. She continues to share, for her the significance of reunion is the gathering together of the family. As long as she’s home for the New Year, the timing of when is not as important as it’s better late than never.
Dining out has become the norm
Reunion dinners used to involve the entire family, each helping out in their own way to prepare. This lively scene of gathering and working together as a family has gradually disappeared. The younger generation who are working in the cities rarely cook at home due to work commitments, and they would usually just make it home in time for reunion. In order to solve the hassle of preparing for reunion dinner, many are choosing to go out to a restaurant for reunion dinner instead.
As we become more affluent, and its business as usual for a lot of restaurants, people are willing pay to enjoy a little convenience. One the one hand, one can reduce their mum’s toils in preparing for the reunion dinner; on the other hand reunion dinners can be celebrated in the comfort of air-conditioned restaurants.
Ah Hui shares, “I usually celebrate reunion dinner with my uncles and their family. It’s quite a task to prepare food enough for the 20-30 of us. Hence we choose to eat at restaurant”. Even if one chooses to eat out, advance bookings are required and have to be arranged a month before. Any later and there will not be any availability.
In recent years, dining out for reunion dinners has become the norm, and restaurants are often filled with patrons. With limited seating, to address the demand whilst not losing the business, restaurants have resorted to allocate time-slots for diners.
Reunion dinner as a formality
Dining out for reunion is not all that rosy either. With shortening of time and the increase in guests, service at the restaurants are compromised. For some, it’s a very long wait for the dishes. Ah Hui shares, “We would usually rush through our reunion dinner in restaurants within one to two hours. Even before we have had much opportunity to catch-up with the family, we have had to take our leave.”
Traditionally, reunion dinners are enjoyed slowly with the gathering of the family, greeting each other and chatting of the year’s passing, and strengthening bonds. Hence reunion dinners celebrated at restaurants have been reduced to just a formality, it’s meaning diluted, as we rushed through the dinner and make way for the next family gathering.
Ah Hui also remarks, the children at reunion dinners are nolonger interacting or chatting with elders, and instead they are fiddling with their smart phones or tablets. As such, reunion dinner has become just a gathering of the elderlies.
Importance of reunion
Ah Hui and his family decided to celebrate reunion dinner at home this year. He says, “It’s still better to celebrate reunion dinner at home. It not only give the younger generation an opportunity to sharpen their skills in the kitchen, but it is also the teaching and sharing of our heritage and culture to the next generation.”
He adds, the dishes prepared at home are not comparable with those by the restaurants, but at least it can be enjoyed leisurely. One can also opt for take-away as an alternative to dining in restaurants. For places like Taiwan, Singapore and other regions, there are services that deliver new years’ eve cuisines directly to your homes for your convenience and enjoyment.
With changing habits of our modern life, the way we celebrate reunion dinner have evolved to cater for our needs. Nevertheless, the intentions remain the same. Even if we are gathered together, but our minds are preoccupied with other matters, reunion is still meaningless. After all, reunion dinner is about the gathering together as one family, one heart!
团圆饭千变万变
初衷不变
昔日民情较简朴，平日生活节俭，三餐多是粗茶淡饭。唯有每逢除夕团圆饭，为祭拜神明与祖先时得准备丰盛的食物，以表对神明的敬意及对祖先的尽孝。事成后就可大餐一顿，犒赏自己一年来的辛劳。
在中国南北地区的团圆饭各有特色——中国北方人包饺子，南方人则吃元宵。吃饺子意味着“更岁交子”，除夕夜12时即是子时，取其新旧交替，迎接子时来临之意。而且饺子的造型弄得像个元宝，吃下后希望能招财进宝。
南方人吃元宵，即是吃汤圆。吃下汤圆，一家团团圆圆。这些食物都带有一些特殊意义，尽显人们对于来年的新展望。因此，团圆饭的菜色也绝不含糊，年菜的取名都得有个好彩头。
例如马新一带特有的年菜——捞鱼生，几乎是农历新年必吃的一道菜色。“捞”字于广东话有谋生之意，故经商的人捞起鱼生，祈求来年生意蒸蒸日上，年年有余；而上班族捞生得越捞越高，意味着能在职场上步步高升。
迟回总比没回好
然而随着时代变迁，生活形式的变化，已逐渐影响甚至改变了人们对返乡过年吃团圆饭的传统想法。团圆饭一定要在除夕夜享用吗？团圆饭一定要在家享用吗？这已不尽然。比起墨守成规的传统形式，现代人更讲究的是“弹性调整”。
除夕夜人人都想回家团聚，但许多离乡游子远在外地，或工作缘故，或为避开新年返乡人潮，有者选择除夕后才回家过年。在新加坡一所医院工作的颜小姐，由于工作排班的缘故使之在除夕得留院值班，直到年初二才能回家过年。
她说道，“能在除夕与家人吃团圆饭固然最好，但有时碍于工作也是身不由己。但团圆饭的意义旨在团圆，时间点未必要在除夕，只要在新年期间能回家探望家人就好。”其实迟回总比没回家好，相比近年来出现不返乡过年的现象，迟些回家吃团圆饭更情有可原。
出外用餐已成趋势
昔日团圆饭都是全家大小总动员一起动手准备的，然而这种热闹情景已逐渐消失。随着年轻一辈鲜少下厨，或工作忙碌没时间准备，或是赶回家乡恰好已是晚餐时间等。为了解决准备团圆饭的难题，人们开始选择出外到餐馆吃团圆饭了。
如今人们的收入所得有所提升，加上餐饮业者于除夕仍照常营业，故人们愿意掏钱到餐馆消费。一者能减轻妈妈准备团圆饭的辛劳；二者在冷气餐馆内用餐舒适且省事，何乐而不为之。
除夕出外吃团圆饭的阿辉就表示，“除夕时几个叔叔的家人会一起吃团圆饭，共有2、30人。若要在家准备团圆饭，那可是很浩大的工程，所以只好出外解决。”虽然如此，到餐馆用餐也非易事，事前的预订席位需1个月前就得安排，迟一些都订不到位子。
近年来，到餐馆吃团圆饭已成了一种趋势，以致除夕当晚的餐馆时常高朋满座。由于座位有限，为解决人潮问题，但又不错失生意，餐饮业者就实施“分时段用餐”的手法分批招待客人。
团圆饭沦为形式
如此一来就出现一些问题，像是用餐时间缩短；客人太多以致服务不周全；以及上菜很慢等。阿辉说道，“在餐馆吃团圆饭十分仓促，像在赶场一样，1至2个小时就得吃完，连饭后寒暄几句的机会都没有，就得离开了。”
传统上的团圆饭应慢慢享用，家族成员间相互问候，增进感情。团圆饭吃得越久，就象征着家族的延续长长久久。然而如今在餐馆赶场般的团圆饭，使其意义变得含糊，似乎沦为一种形式而已。
而且阿辉也发现，家族小辈在团圆饭座位上并非与长辈聊天互动，而是与手上的智能手机或平板电脑互动。结果，团圆饭感觉上只是长辈们的年度叙旧而已。
团聚的心意最重要
今年阿辉一家决定在家吃团圆饭，“总觉得在家吃团圆饭较好，大家一同准备，气氛更佳。同时也让我们这些平日少进厨房的晚辈有机会学习，这也算是一种传承工作。”
他说道，在家准备的菜色是无法与餐馆的媲美，但至少可慢慢享用。或也可以考虑在外打包回家加菜，也是另一个办法。像是台湾、新加坡等地区，已有年菜宅配服务，佳肴直接送至府上即可享用。
由于现代生活模式的变化，使得团圆饭的形式也随之改变。然而形式怎么变都没关系，只要回家团圆的心意不变就好。假若人在心思却已飘远，即使坐在一起吃团圆饭也显得没意义。凝聚一家人的心，才是吃团圆饭的初衷。
