Ritual, a simple act turned sacred.

I remember waking up Sunday mornings excited to eat. My mom, dad, and two brothers would pack into our blue Mazda van and drive across town to Chinatown to meet my gung gung and pau pau for dim sum at the New Asia Restaurant on Pacific street. My mom’s parents were my only living grandparents then. We’d gather around the table spinning the lazy susan for an infinite spread of delicious Chinese dishes to share. It is here, at this table, where I picked up most of my cultural cues, like pouring tea for my elders to show my respect. To serve food to my parents before myself meant honoring the divine order of the household. Laying my chopsticks down to rest signified I was full.

Me and G0ng G0ng. Temple of Heaven. Beijing, China. Circa 1988.

My grandparents made the simple act of eating sacred. This is my first memory of a ritual. Rituals exist in space and time. They come from our past, an inheritance left by our ancestors. A treasure trove of stories filled with social and cultural clues. These instructions are passed down from generation to generation. Rituals are a sequence of actions carried out and performed. We embody what we believe in. It’s a way to presence us to the connection to our past. They help us remember who we are.

The Wong Family. Grandparents - Wong Shek Chau and Lam Siu. Hong Kong. Circa 1967.

The Chinese culture is ripe with rituals and traditions. The deceased, newborns, the heavenly bodies, cherry blossoms, animals, everything is honored in time and through action. Nothing is insignificant. Everything has meaning. The time of the year when my family performs the most rituals is Chinese New Year. I remember as a young girl sweeping the floors, my mom stocking our fruit bowl with oranges, visiting my relatives, the excitement of receiving a red envelope, coming together for a feast to honor the year closing and welcome in the new one. It’s a spirited time to honor our households, families, heavenly deities, & ancestors. The ways we celebrate are infinite. Not one family does it the same. We are lead by the intention to invite good fortune, practice honor, and to bring harmony into our lives.

My grandparents laid the foundation to making an ordinary, everyday action, sacred. The beauty with creating rituals is that as I evolve, so does the practice. Over time what becomes of it is a trail of artifacts, stories, and traditions worthy of passing down to future generations. And the idea of offering morsels of wisdom to feed the spirit of my family brings me double happiness.

I leave you with an ancient Chinese secret : Our rituals become our legacy.