Special: Chinese New Year 2015! (Reunion Dinner and visiting family)

Happy year of the Sheep! To be honest I'm not quite sure if it's a goat or sheep this year as half the portrayals of the animals look like fluffy sheep and the other half have horns and look like goats! Apparently it's the year of the 'ram' to be most specific! I wish all those of Chinese descent a prosperous and happy year ahead! As a chinese Singaporean and living in a country with a predominantly Chinese population the lunar new year is a big deal here.

Expect red and gold lanterns and decorations all over town, supermarkets filled with shelves and rows of traditional snacks and foods for the occasion and streets in Chinatown shut down for temporarily stalls to set up to do business of goods and foods! We also have a public holiday but unlike China or other Chinese countries ours is only a day or two and not a week or two!

Continue below for my CNY celebrations!

Special: Chinese New Year 2015! (Reunion Dinner and visiting family)

A soft shimmery bright peach eye look!

A soft shimmery bright peach eye look! Using a dior and urban decay eyeshadow!

I wanted something soft, peachy, shimmery and clean looking!

On my cheeks is the most pretty coral with golden shimmer, Bourjois Lilas d'or!

Products used: ZA perfect fit two way powder, Cyber colors powder, Kate powderless foundation, Revlon matte (for brows), Bourjois blush, Shiseido cream eyeshadow, Art Deco eyebrow gel, Lady Oscar eyeliner, Maybelline the rocket mascara, Kiss me heroine mascara, Korres mango butter lipstick!

Shadows used: Catrice highlight shade (great dupe for thebalm marylou), shadow from Urban Decay Vice 2 and peachy shade from Dior travel voyage palette!

My completely look for the first day of Chinese new year! Simple, bright clean eyes, pinched cheeks and a juicy peachy pink lip!

If you get a chance to get a mango butter lipstick from Korres, do get it! The texture feels like a dupe for YSL rouge volupte lipsticks which I own 4 of!

My Chinese New Year day outfit! The gorgeous wait fitted red lace dress was a steal from H&M! At only $40 SGD, it was the most elegant and pretty of the 5 or 6 red dresses they were selling before the lunar new year period! I however got the sleeves altered so they stop at my elbows instead of my wrists!

In person the skirt is quite unique, from the front, it's like a diamond, where the front and back are the same length but the sides are raised so it gives the skirt such a gorgeous shape! For those who don't know red is a lucky chinese color and you'll see people in red or other bright/light shades during this festive period!

A candid shot of my boyfriend! In the back is a mini orange plant that a family friend sent us for good luck! You will see these plants at the entrances of shopping malls, businesses and at people's home which are symbolic for luck!

A photo of all the ladies at our family gathering!

My parent's with my paternal grandmother!

Visiting my maternal grandmother! Still strong, healthy and living independently of her own choice at 80! She was looking a bit tired without much make up on but still gorgeous in her red dress!

My family's reunion dinner! This dinner look place on the eve of the lunar new year day. It's usually the immediate family or as many family members who can attend as it's often the one time of the year where all family catch up and eat together!

My mom made a delicious thick seafood based soup with crab meat, scallops, chicken, mushroom and baby abalones!

A deep fried fish with a sour savory tamarind curry sauce!

Deep fried 'scallop' spring rolls! We rarely deep fry finger food like this for normal meals for this was super enjoyable!

My dad's favorite dish. A stir fried glass noodle dish was braised cabbage, black fungus mushroom, carrots and shitake!

Most importantly is the Yu Sheng which is a dish that all chinese families would usually have at least once during this period! It's an appetizier type dish, under the prawns and smoked salmon and crackers is a bed of shredded raddish, carrots and cucumber! Many other types of pickes and garnishes like crushed peanuts and sesame seeds! All topped off with a sweet sticky plum dressing! This dish is tossed by all the people at the dining table while saying well wishes aloud  until it's a mixed up mess!

One of my favorite photos from the day! Le boyfriend stayed over night for the reunion dinner but we parted on the day itself as I needed to go visiting extended family with my family!

For those who celebrate I hope you all had some kind of celebration or festive meal! That's the one thing I always look forward to is the food and snacks! Chinese locals here don't celebrate our independence day with food, we don't have thanksgiving, not many celebrate Christmas or new years the same was as the Chinese New Year! 

What country were you in celebrating the lunar new year?

What's your favorite lunar new year food?

Let me know!

Feel free to comment!

Thank you!