In chinese tradition, people prepare the foods and pray them to the gods one day before the new year day. As in legends, going out is prohibited for the member of the family. Every member will be together in the house and they need to clean the house as well as their bodies because, for the rest of the holiday, they are prohibited of cleaning, washing or even brushing their teeth.
For me, the legends is one part, but another part is it wants all family members to be together for even just only one day. It's enough happiness for the busiest families which barely eating lunch or dinner together. And for the cleaning quota, it may want the members to pay attention more on the relatives. Especially for the youngers that spend much time in front the mirrors, takes care the elder siblings who are even sick of home stressing.
In my family, there is a hybrid style of ritual. My mom prepares foods but no stricted limits! But that is even very negligence for my father's house. There is no food prepared nor even a suprise. The reason is probably from a scientics behaviors of the whole member that care nothing about that or even because this is the chinese tradition and not the native Khmer style one. But just bear in mind that my two grandfathers (maternal and paternal) are the native and native chinese-born. Although, my paterfamilias's siblings are ready of praying.
All in all, my family, at least, prepares foods for this holiday but not the case of my paternal side. For tomorrow, the city would be quite calmer but the province would be more dense because most of people will leave the capital to enjoy the holiday outside the crowds (but do they really get rid of the crowds whenever the crowds will be there also?). Okay, I will report thing that happens on the first day of holiday. Oops, tomorrow is also the Valentine's day. Thanks for reading.
SovannVathana
