X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

8 Dreadful Things You'll Face During Chinese New Year Visits

3 min read
8 Dreadful Things You'll Face During Chinese New Year Visits

The good, the bad and the ugly

It's that time of the year again when you hustle and bustle with the crowds to buy goodies and new clothes, and join the never-ending queue for exchanging your new notes.

Not only that, but as you brush up on your social skills for the annual visitation of your relatives, you might have to mentally prepare yourself for the tsunami of awkward situations and questions headed your way! Here are eight...

#1 The number of relatives present

confused
Really? How many of you are there? How am I suppose to properly address my uncle's aunt's second cousin? With the less traditional families, you can get away with saying "Aunty" and "Uncle" throughout, but for the more traditional ones... Good luck.

#2 Getting called by the wrong name

raisedhands
All those of you with siblings, raise your hands! I'm pretty sure that at some point, your grandparents may have called you by your brother's name, even if you're a girl (I don't know how, but it happens). Now imagine this happening over and over again during CNY visiting, by people whom you haven't seen in about a year.

#3 Trying to think of new greetings

thinking
For those with limited Chinese vocabulary, this one's for you. Sometimes saying "gong xi fa cai" just isn't enough to please your elders. They expect you to wish them eternal wealth and health and everlasting peace (seriously, it's hard enough to manage a single phrase, what more an entire paragraph)?

#4 Getting teased about your weight/size

fat
"Are you sure you only have 1 child? Not 2?"
"Wah! Marry already put on so much weight ah?"
"I remember when you were a child, you were soooooo skinny!"
"Your husband/wife must be feeding you well!"

#5 The never-satisfied relatives

whatdoyouwant
When you were single, they asked you when you were going to find a partner. When you got married, they asked you when you were going to have a child. Just when you think you've managed to wiggle your way out of these questions, they ask, "So, when will child number 2 arrive?" Argh!

#6 Dealing with competitive relatives

chill
You know, those kinds. Not only do they brag about their achievements disguised in a complain ("Oh it's sooo annoying how my boss always takes me to fancy restaurants for our meetings, sometimes I just want a good bowl of fish soup!"), they size you up by asking a million and one questions about your child, just to compare with theirs.

"How much did he get for PSLE?" "Do you send him for enrichment classes?" "My son scores 'A' on all his exams, you know."

#7 Children and ang baos

When your child is given an ang bao, it is in his nature to want to open it up immediately. Snatching it away will probably make you seem like an uptight parent, but letting him run around with it will put him at risk of dropping it (Nooooooo!).

#8 Deciding who gets an ang bao

So many kids everywhere!!! Do they all get an ang bao? Whose child is it? Did I just see one of them lick his fingers and touch the tray of pineapple tarts? They just called me aunty, and I'm not even that old. They definitely don't deserve an ang bao.

What are some other awkward situations that you usually find yourself in every Chinese New Year? Share with us in the comments below!

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Pongal 2023: Things to Know About the Harvest Festival In Singapore
Pongal 2023: Things to Know About the Harvest Festival In Singapore
Flavours of Mid-Autumn With Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
Flavours of Mid-Autumn With Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant
Two New Art Experiences for the Young and Young at Heart by Singapore Art Museum to Check Out From June 2022
Two New Art Experiences for the Young and Young at Heart by Singapore Art Museum to Check Out From June 2022

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Tay Siew Ming

  • Home
  • /
  • Festivals & Holidays
  • /
  • 8 Dreadful Things You'll Face During Chinese New Year Visits
Share:
  • 12 Fun Facts About Chinese New Year Every Parent Should Share With Their Kids

    12 Fun Facts About Chinese New Year Every Parent Should Share With Their Kids

  • 12 Chinese New Year Superstitions To Follow For A Big Dose Of Luck!

    12 Chinese New Year Superstitions To Follow For A Big Dose Of Luck!

  • Ballsy Mum Cooks Same Dish With Pot Replacing the One That Broke Into 2 in Viral Video

    Ballsy Mum Cooks Same Dish With Pot Replacing the One That Broke Into 2 in Viral Video

  • Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

    Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

  • 12 Fun Facts About Chinese New Year Every Parent Should Share With Their Kids

    12 Fun Facts About Chinese New Year Every Parent Should Share With Their Kids

  • 12 Chinese New Year Superstitions To Follow For A Big Dose Of Luck!

    12 Chinese New Year Superstitions To Follow For A Big Dose Of Luck!

  • Ballsy Mum Cooks Same Dish With Pot Replacing the One That Broke Into 2 in Viral Video

    Ballsy Mum Cooks Same Dish With Pot Replacing the One That Broke Into 2 in Viral Video

  • Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

    Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.