Keeping traditions alive: How one Peranakan is passing down a generations-old custom

Each year, Jasmine Chee returns to her hometown in Malacca a week before Chinese New Year to prepare for Smayang Tikong, a traditional Peranakan and Hokkien prayer ritual honouring the Jade Emperor (Tian Kong), a deity in Chinese mythology.

It’s a painstaking practice that is usually passed down from generation to generation within a family, according to Jasmine. The 40-year-old Singaporean comes from an 11th- to 13th-generation Peranakan-Hokkien family that lives in Singapore and Malaysia.

“My family has been performing Tian Kong prayers for as long as I can remember. The tradition was passed from my grandmother to my father, who is the eldest son and thus responsible for continuing it. In traditional families like mine, rituals are usually carried on by the male lineage,” she shares.

The third of five siblings, Jasmine has a keen interest in documenting her family’s history, and is a docent for the NUS Baba House, which is located at Neil Road. Her passion for Peranakan history and culture led her to assist her father and brother with the rituals – only to discover that certain details had been lost over time.

“When I ask my father why we do certain things, he often doesn’t have an answer – his response is usually, ‘Because Ah Ma (grandma) did it this way,’ or ‘It has always been done like this.’ I’ve realised that tradition is very standardised – you just follow what your family has always done.”

“Interestingly, each family has slight variations in how they perform the prayers, so while the core ritual is the same, the details can differ,” explains Jasmine.

Celebrating the Jade Emperor (Tian Gong)

Held on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, the preparations begin with offerings of fruit or vegetarian food before the altar is set up.

In Jasmine’s family, fruits are carefully chosen for their symbolic meanings – for example, oranges represent wealth, red apples signify peace, and bananas symbolise abundance. They are then wrapped in red paper, hand-cut into zigzag strips – a traditional Peranakan practice, according to Jasmine.

“I was inspired by another family to add gold paper on top of the red, which my mother liked, so now I do it every year,” she shares.

Another important offering, Jasmine adds, is misua (rice vermicelli) cooked in rock sugar, which represents longevity and “sweetness” in life.

After preparing the offerings, the family begins the elaborate process of setting up the altar with family heirlooms that are used only for this occasion – a prayer carpet and kneeling pillow, brass candle stands, and Peranakan porcelain plates and bowls.

“The head of the household (my father) begins the prayers by lighting incense and inviting the Jade Emperor to accept the offerings. Once he has prayed, everyone else follows.

“For Peranakan families, Tian Gong’s prayers can sometimes be grander than Chinese New Year itself. At midnight, we burn joss paper, including a special folded paper unique to our family. The sugarcane stalks from the doorframe are also burned as part of the final ritual.

“After the prayers, the tea offered to Tian Gong is poured into a cup, and my father drinks first, followed by the rest of the family – this symbolises receiving blessings.” says Jasmine.

The significance of sugarcane is said to originate from a story about how, during a war, the Hokkien people hid in sugarcane plantations for protection.

Jasmine explains, “Because of this, sugarcane is believed to have saved our ancestors, and when we pray to Tian Gong, we place sugarcane stalks on our doorframes as a symbolic offering.”

A disappearing tradition

As Peranakan traditions are mostly passed down within families and often specific to individual households, it is rare for outsiders to witness these prayers in practice. Additionally, there is a lack of knowledge about these rituals, compounded by the fact that most Singaporean families live in space-constrained apartments.

“Even among Peranakans today, many no longer practise traditional customs. A lot of traditions died with the older generation, and many families have moved their ancestral altars to temples,” says Jasmine.

She muses that another factor contributing to the decline of these prayers could be the fading of traditional crafts. The Peranakan approach involves intricate prayer items, such as antique pots and porcelain, which are typically heirlooms.

“Many of the artisans who used to make these ceremonial items have stopped doing so, making it increasingly difficult to source them.

“For example, if the elderly auntie who supplies our joss paper or ritual candles stops making them, we’ll have to find an alternative. Even the long red candles we used to use – nowadays, fewer people burn candles, so they’re harder to find.”

Jasmine is determined to ensure that her family’s legacy is passed down to younger generations, even though the responsibility of leading the ritual will ultimately fall to her brother.

“If your family doesn’t practise it and you don’t see it being done, then you won’t know about it. You’re not exposed to it, so you don’t even realise it’s missing from your life.

“My brother and I have decided that we will continue. For my family, it’s important that [the younger generation] are present to witness and take part in it. Even if they don’t fully understand or show immediate interest, something will already be seeded within them.

“I told my brother, ‘You’ll probably be the one inheriting this culture, but I’m here to help you. As long as we want to do it, we will do it together,’” she says.