PSS Quiz

Chinese New Year Cultural Quiz

Are you ready?

10 Questions

Multiple Choice

Q1 According to the legend of the Chinese New Year, what did the villagers do to chase the 'Nian' Monster away?

• A) Eating reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year and cleaning the house

• B) Throwing away all the firecrackers away and locking their doors

• C) Wearing red-coloured clothing and making loud noises with drums and gongs

Did you get it right?

A wise man in the legend of Chinese New Year told the villagers who were attacked by Nian the Monster, that it was afraid of 3 things:

1. Loud noises: eg. gongs and drums

2. Fire: e.g. firecrackers

3. The colour red

Multiple Choice

Q2 The drum used during the Lion Dance is to ____

• A) Direct the action as it is the lion’s heartbeat

• B) Frighten away evil spirits because it is loud

• C) Control the crowd when there are tricky stunts

• D) Enhance the joyous atmosphere during the performance

Did you get it right?

The drum is the lion's heartbeat and directs its action. The gong and cymbals used in the lion dance help to frighten away evil spirits.

The drummer is usually the most senior member of the troupe.

This is because he/she is the most experienced for this role.

Multiple Choice

Q3 During the Chinese New Year, lion dances include performances of “Picking greens” (Cai Qing). It is a homonym for ________

• A) Health and Peace

• B) Wealth and Fortune

• C) Auspicious and Smooth Sailing year

• D) Luck and Blessing

Multiple Choice

Q4 The significance of the tradition of giving and receiving red packets (ang pao / hong bao) lies in:

• A) The money inside the red packet which symbolises prosperity and luck

• B) The red paper of the packet which is auspicious and symbolises blessings

Did you get it right?

The significance of the red packet lies in the red paper, not the money. They are given by elders in the family to bestow more happiness and blessings on the receivers.

It is impolite to open the red packet in front of the person who gives it to you. Remember to wish your elders good wishes before the red packets are given!

Multiple Choice

Q5 Which day of the Chinese New Year do people avoid doing visitations at other families' houses?

• A) 1st day

• B) 3rd day

• C) 7th day

• D) 15th day

Did you get it right?

• Known as the Chi Gou Ri (the day of the Red Dog). The Red Dog is the God of Blazing Wrath and bad luck.

• No visits are made nor are visitors received, as the name of the day also sounds like “Chi Kou Ri” (the day of the red mouth), when quarrels and fights are aplenty. Conservative Chinese businesses also do not open until the fifth day, when taboos can be broken.

Multiple Choice

Q6 Having a reunion dinner is a traditional practice on the Chinese New Year eve. Why was there no reunion dinner on the Chinese New Year eve in Singapore 79 years ago?

• A) Singapore did not have the practice of celebrating Chinese New Year celebrations prior to 1942. Reunion dinners only started in 1943.

• B) There was a flood in Singapore in 1942 and all crops were destroyed. Therefore there was not enough food for reunion dinners that year.

• C) A major crisis hit Singapore before the Chinese New Year in 1942, and no one was able to celebrate by having a reunion dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year.

Did you get it right?

In 1942, Singapore fell to the Japanese during World War II.

On 15 February 1942, which was the first day of the Lunar New Year, Lieutenant General Arthur E. Percival, who was then the General Officer Commanding (Malaya), signed the surrender documents before Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Commander of the Japanese 25th Army that invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941.

Multiple Choice

Q7 We love eating the Kueh Bangkit biscuits during Chinese New Year. Why are the Kueh Bangkit biscuits shaped like that?

• A) They look like beautiful flowers which blossom during spring time.

• B) They look like currency used in ancient China.

Multiple Choice

Q8 Which of the following is a Chinese New Year traditional practice unique to Singapore?

• A) Performing lion and dragon dances

• B) Giving and receiving red packets

• C) Eating rice cakes (nian gao)

• D) Tossing Yu Sheng

Multiple Choice

Q9 What is the significance of adding pomelo or lime to the raw fish when eating Yu Sheng?

• A) To mask the fishiness of the raw fish

• B) To symbolise good luck and prosperity

• C) To make good use of the ingredients available during the spring season

Multiple Select

Q10 What are the things to take note of when dining outside during the Chinese New Year this year?

(Choose all the answers which you think are correct.)

• A) Diners should avoid raising their voices at all times

• B) Diners must wear masks during the tossing of Yu Sheng

• C) Lohei / Yu Sheng must be served without any verbalisation of the usual auspicious phrases

• D) Multiple table bookings at F&B outlets are prohibited, except for those from same household. In such instances, no intermingling across tables.

Multiple Choice

Bonus Question 1/2

In the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals,

the Tiger is the _____ animal.

• 1st

• 2nd

• 3rd

• 4th

The first animal is the Rat, second the Ox, and third is the Tiger!

Hear me roar!​

​

The Tiger is the 3rd animal in the Chinese Zodiac.

Multiple Choice

Bonus Question 2/2

Punggol Secondary School was once called Pei Dao Secondary School.

It was founded in 1957. What is the zodiac of that year?

• Tiger

• Snake

• Rabbit

• Rooster

1957

was the year of the

Rooster!​

1957