Howco’s Singapore team have welcomed in the Year of the Snake with a special celebration to mark the arrival of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Beginning on 29 January and extending through until 12 February, the 15-day holiday traditionally marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
Our close-knit team in Singapore came together to observe the occasion as has become our annual tradition with a special event on Friday 07 February. The day began just before lunchtime with a speech given by Howco regional director, Tim Birch. Tim expressed his thanks to the whole team for their continuing hard work and dedication and wished everyone a safe and prosperous year.
With that, the celebrations began! One lucky team member won a special Chinese New Year gift hamper – the hamper was laden with traditional treats including bird nests, abalone, chicken essence, fish maw mushroom canned soup, wine, and pineapple tarts.
Each of these delicacies holds a special significance. Pineapples are known as ‘ong lai’ in the Cantonese language and are a traditional gift during the Lunar period as a symbol of luck and good fortune. Typically enjoyed during this period, Abalone is a luxurious treat which symbolises assurance, while bird’s nest is given to represent longevity and good health. Fish maw is another traditional dish eaten at New Year as a symbol of prosperity for the year ahead.
The hamper winner was delighted with his prize, and expressed his enjoyment in the celebrations remarking, “Thank you for the wonderful event! I truly enjoyed the festive atmosphere and the authentic Chinese New Year spirit it brought. It was a fantastic experience, and I hope to see many more similar events in the future. I appreciate the company’s effort to organize this event. With the Chinese New Year song playing around and the excitement of the lucky draw of Chinese New Year hampers, it made me merry.”
For lunch, each person was able to tuck into a special bento box, prepared for the occasion. Take a look at some of the pictures from the celebrations below!
