5 Novel Ways Malaysians Are Preparing For Chinese Niu Year In 2021

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3M™ Command™ brand takes a closer look at how families are getting ready to welcome the Year of the Ox amidst a global pandemic!

We are fast approaching that time of the year when festivities come to life. It is time for reunion dinners, virtual family gatherings, mandarin oranges, ang pow packets and the customary tossing of yee sang as we gear up to welcome the Year of the Ox.

However, unlike past years, Chinese New Year (CNY) in 2021 might be shaping up quite differently with travel restrictions and social distancing in play. But traditions and customs still need to be honoured. To understand how Malaysians are preparing for CNY in 2021, the 3M™ Command™ team spoke to a couple of netizens to see what they are doing differently this year and to find out what are the traditional customaries that they just can’t do without.

The freshness appeal
Klang Valley based graphic designer, Ivan Tan says that for 2021, his family CNY mantra is going fresh! While there is no conservative tradition associated with this, his family believes that bringing freshness into the house will allow everyone to have a fresh start in the New Year. To bring freshness to their home, Ivan says they are all about decorating the house with fresh flowers and adding new plants to their home garden on the first day of CNY. The family is also planning to bake a huge batch of pineapple tarts (something they would normally order) to allow the fresh smell of baking to permeate their home and wipe out any traces of fatigue and anxiety from their home.

Home organising, no room spared
Spring cleaning before CNY is not unheard of. In fact, traditional beliefs state that cleaning drives bad luck away from the house and family. Sepang resident, Trisha Leong, has started on her home organising, beginning first with her bathroom as her family believes that sloppy and humid bathrooms harbour bad luck. The digital marketing executive has been shopping for her favourite 3M™ Command™ products such as the water resistant 3M™ Command™ Broom/Mop Gripper. These nifty organising tools are water resistant, can withstand humid conditions and attach easily to multiple surfaces without any drilling. The 3M™ Command™ Broom/Mop Gripper can hold all your cleaning equipment like mops, scrubbers, etc with up to 1.8kg of weight, making your bathroom look clean and organised. 
3M™ Command™ Broom/Mop Gripper
CNY goes digital, and so do ang pows
Technology has changed lives in 2020, so why not rely on technology to add fun to remote CNY celebrations. Communications and Media graduate, Stephanie Chew says her family is not one to shy away from technology and that they have been shopping online for fun red outfits to attend virtual reunion gatherings. She even confesses that she has been sending her bank account details to married cousins, aunts and uncles for her e-angpow collection.

Newly weds, Jason and Sarah Dong are also following a similar trend and have ordered big meals to be sent out to close family members so that they can have a huge virtual reunion meal and keep the tradition alive.

CNY home decorations, the feng-shui way
“Every year before CNY, our family will consult with a feng-shui master to get tips on arranging and decorating our home to achieve harmony and balance in the New Year,” says beauty consultant Jasmine Low. The 26-year old Klang resident has started shopping for red paper lanterns, duilian (New Year couplets), décor ornaments with ox drawn on it and paper cuttings of the Chinese character fu which translates to good fortune.

However, instead of using nails and double sided tapes to hang her décor, this year, Jasmine is relying on 3M™ Command™ Utility Hooks and 3M™ Command™ Picture Hanging Strips, that are easy to use, hold strongly and can be easily removed after use, without damaging the walls. One reason why Jasmine has decided to rely on 3M™ Command™ products this year is also to avoid using nails and drills on her home walls, which often destroy carefully laid feng- shui arrangement. “Glad to have found that solution with 3M™ Command™ products.” 
CNY décor with 3M™ Command™ Utility Hooks and 3M™ Command™ Picture Hanging Strips
Cooking up a storm
For entrepreneur and design enthusiast Greg Lee, one of his biggest challenges this year is to keep his grandmother engaged - lest she insists on a huge family get together. To keep his grandmother occupied, Greg has set her up with a challenge to prepare traditional CNY sweets like tanghulu and kuih kapit which they will then send to relatives and friends along with mandarin oranges. He has even created a special nook in their kitchen for his Ah Mah to cook her delicacies. With 3M™ Command™ Wire Hooks where he can hang items like whisk, ladles and even smaller pots, this will make it easy for his Ah Mah to access her favourite kitchen untensils. These multipurpose hooks are easy to install and can be easily removed for repositioning in case you change your mind. Greg has also created a similar hanging stand with 3M™ Command™ Wire Hooks by the sink to free up more countertop space and to organise the kitchen more efficiently for the New Year. 
3M™ Command™ Wire Hooks
To make sure you have fun organizing your home this festive season, 3M™ Command™ brand is offering a wide range of offers and promotions on their products that will make your CNY home projects come to life. This includes a limited edition Command™ Broom Gripper Twin Pack and Command™ Utility Hooks Extra Value Pack.

You can look for your favourite 3M™ Command™ products at any of these popular shopping destinations like Ace Hardware, Aeon, Aeon Big, HomePro, Jaya Grocer, Mydin, Parkson, Popular, Tesco and Village Grocer. You can also shop online for 3M™ Command™ products from 3M Official stores on Shopee and Lazada.

3M™ Command™ brand has also put together a special Buy, Snap and Win contest this CNY where consumers will stand a chance to win total prizes worth RM5,000. To participate, consumers can simply snap a picture of their Command™ products purchase receipt worth RM20 and above, in single receipt and share it via WhatsApp on (+6 011 1261 8412). Lucky consumers will stand a chance to win exclusive prizes every bi-weekly or even a grand monthly prize of home decoration gift packs worth RM1,000.

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