Tuesday 21 December 2010

Dongzhi

Mum called early this morning, "Have you eaten tang yuan today?"

Oh, it's Dong Zhi or winter solstice already? I wasn't aware of course. We have no winter here!

It's a day for the traditional Chinese to reunite with the family for a feast. Eating tang yuan is a must as the round glutinous rice balls represent reunion and happiness.

Mum still prepares them every year. She says dongzhi brings the family closer together. Of course I would have to make a trip back during lunch to eat her tang yuan. That would make her very happy especially now that the house is not as lively as before.

Both my nieces no longer spend their days there now that they are in the day-care. Ting will be starting primary one next year, so we'll see even less of her.

Now that the house is so quiet, I should try to visit my mum more often. Today sounds like the perfect day for a visit!

8 comments:

Malar said...

Your mother must be very happy to see you!

Petunia Lee said...

For tang yuan... I would visit anytime!!

Blur Ting said...

Malar - Yes, she was happy to see me. In fact, she was hoping my brother would bring his daughters home to eat as well but one of them is sick. Luckily I went to help eat the tang yuan.

Blur Ting said...

Petunia - Hehe, my mum's tang yuan is very simple plain ones cooked in a lightly sweetened soup. Nothing like the kind you eat at the dessert stalls!

Amel said...

Mom also made them yesterday and when Ken (my bro's boy) saw her, he was SO excited and he wanted to help out (he's only 2 years and 2 months old) and when his Mom helped him do the balls, he was SO happy!!! :-D

When I was a kid and my Mom used to sell those balls in a market, the whole family helped her make them...SO MANY of them. :-D It remains one of my fave "snacks" ever!!! (but I prefer them plain without any nutty fillings)

Blur Ting said...

Amel - Do you have glutinous rice flour? You could make some and your hubby could help you!

charlie hotel said...

I used to help mom make 'tangyuan' as a child. You can recognise the ones I made because they'll be the cubical ones, half-red half-white ones etc...

The World According To Me said...

Hope you had a nice visit and tang yuan.

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