The Table, The Chopsticks, And The Bedtime Questions

I’ve been busy lately. Busy enough that I’ve missed sitting down to pen these notes. So it feels good to be back writing something, and I'm hoping to write more. 

For me, the festive season starts in November and doesn’t really stop. There is Thanksgiving. Then Tang Yuan for the winter solstice in December. Then Christmas. Then the countdown to 1 January. Then Chinese New Year, which lands in January or February, depending on the year. It feels like a whole season of celebrations, sometimes more than three months. The beauty of coming from a mixed family - we celebrate them all! 

The two tables that we celebrate around couldn't be more different. 

At Christmas, I’m the Eurasian me. There is a lot of hugging. The food is very Western. We talk over each other and nobody minds.

At Chinese New Year, the chopsticks come out. Arms stay on the table. There are fewer hugs, but it’s just as warm. 

And I switch between the two without thinking. The food changes. The table manners change. Even the language changes. I only notice when someone asks, “How do you do that?”  Here’s what I’ve learnt. Every family celebrates differently. But the table looks the same everywhere. It’s full of food and love. For some of us, it’s the one time in the year we see certain relatives. 

It reminds me of bedtime reading. The day is over, the lights are low, and a child is tucked in. Then the questions start. Fast. Why did she do that? What happens next? Can we read it again?

It’s the same kind of moment. Everyone is together, and nobody is in a hurry. We sit, listen, and talk. Some difficult, some to catch up on each other's lives. 

Sometimes the smallest tradition becomes the big one. A story before sleep. A bowl of tang yuan. A seat saved at the table. Children remember these things long after they forget the gifts.

On 1 November, we’re starting 30 Days of Festive Traditions at www.StoryVerseLand.com/Festive-2026. We would love to hear yours.

What is the smallest tradition in your home that has become a big one?