SINGAPORE: A video of a 30-member Indian family celebrating Chinese New Year has got over half a million views, with TikTok users cheering them for getting into the spirit of the holiday.
It’s the work of Abraham de Laure, who often posts about his “big fat Indian family” as well as other experiences in the life of a Gen Z Singaporean. The action is accompanied by his deadpan narration but shows his family having a pretty good time.
@abrahamdelaure Family celebrates Chinese new year
“Have you seen 30+ Indians celebrate Chinese New Year? If you say yes, I pity you,” he says as the clip begins. The family begin their festivities by rehearsing for a TikTok dance and exchanging oranges, but the clincher is when they do lo hai for the first time.
Lo hei is Cantonese for “tossing up”. It refers to people tossing together a dish of yusheng, made of diced bits of fish, vegetables, spices, and other ingredients, each of which has an auspicious meaning.
Tossing the dish is meant to bring on great prosperity, good fortune, and good luck. When all the ingredients are added to the dish, the diners at the table all stand up and throw the ingredients into the air with their chopsticks. As they do this, they offer good wishes or just say “lo hei, lo hei” (scoop it up, scoop it up).
The higher the toss, the greater the prosperity. Probably that’s why people—including Mr de Laure’s family—do it with so much energy and gusto.
“It’s traumatizing,” he joked. “I’ve never seen the lo hei flying to the ceiling before. This is the reason why you should never give Indians chopsticks and throw the lo hei high-high for good luck… given the chance they would throw it to the upstairs neighbour, too.”
In the same deadpan manner, he quickly added that the “cleaning crew was alerted very fast”.
Mr de Laure went on to poke gentle fun at various family members who were crying, who arrived late, who were enjoying the aroma of bak kwa”, and an uncle who was said to be particularly happy because “someone brought mutton curry to the house”.
The video ends endearingly with the whole family coming together to wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year.
Commenters have been flooding Mr de Laure’s post, sharing the family’s good vibes.
“This encompasses the CNY spirit so well,” one wrote.
“Your family just takes every single chance to celebrate! HUAT AH! ENJOY!” another chimed in. /TISG
Read also: It’s the new normal — lo hei without shouting the usual auspicious phrases
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