Maintaining old traditions
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THE KRISTANG COMMUNITY IN MALAYSIA MAY HAVE MOVED TO CITIES, BUT THEIR CHRISTMAS IS STILL CELEBRATED IN THE SAME TRADITIONAL WAY
Kristang – the Portuguese-Eurasian settled in Malacca – are well known for the scale of their decorations and Christmas traditions.
Many of the Klang Valley’s sizeable Kristang community, not surprisingly, emigrated from Malacca either for jobs or family ties, and brought along their Christmas traditions.
For Catholics, attending midnight mass is a must, although Anglicans such as Joe De Costa, 82, and his wife Shirlye, also attend similar services at around midnight to mark the birth of Jesus Christ.
De Costa, who still maintains links with his relatives in the settlement, reminisced about how his father used to organise a large-scale Christmas open house the next day.
“Everyone could come over to participate in the festivities, there was no need for an invitation.
“It is a good way to get to know one’s neighbours,” said De Costa, who spent most of his younger days moving with his civil servant father around Johor after leaving Malacca.
Since moving to the Klang Valley in 2000, De Costa admitted that the city lifestyle was radically different from his time in Kluang and Batu Pahat and could not keep up the tradition of open houses.
Shirlye, who hails from a Eurasian family in Kuching, noted that there were certain traditions among her hometown’s Eurasian community that differed from those in the peninsula.
“The dishes were unfamiliar to me, so I had to learn the cuisine here,” said Shirlye, who, together with her husband had already done up their Christmas decorations and prepared the festive goodies more than a week before Christmas.
“Often, a few days just before Christmas or on the Eve itself, families would visit the graves of loved ones who have passed on and pay their respects,” Shirlye said.
Sending snail mail, especially in light of today’s electronic option, may seem quaint, but Shirlye still observes the practice of mailing Christmas cards to friends and family overseas.
Public relations consultant Michael Simon, who also has maternal relatives back home in Malacca, admitted that the household was not very big on decorations for pragmatic reasons.
“We will put up customary items like the tree decorated with bells and baubles to set the atmosphere.
“But look at it this way, after everyone goes back when the season is over, who is going to clean up?” Michael joked.
His cousins in Malacca, he said, were more enthusiastic in decorating for the season and often, a whole group of Michael’s family from the Klang Valley would make a day trip to Malacca to celebrate with their relatives.
One must-have for the Yuletide season in the community is homemade pineapple jam tarts.
When StarMetro dropped in to interview Michael and his family, many of those present were busy making traditional pineapple tarts that would be distributed to other family members when everyone gets together on Christmas Eve.
It was an efficient production line, with the younger male cousins rolling and breaking the dough, and another cutting it into smaller circles with a mould.
The senior womenfolk do more delicate tasks such as spooning the jam onto the tarts as well as glazing and etching the dough’s crust design, before Michael’s elder sister, Violet, pops the tray into the oven.
Violet said, making about 1,200 tarts to cover 50 relatives takes about 16 kilograms of dough, along with 12 pineapples, making this a labour-intensive tradition.
“But it is enjoyable, even if it’s just rolling dough, because it’s one of the few holidays when the whole family is under one roof, and I learn about making these tarts in the process,” Shaun Le Simon, 25, said.
Another Christmas culinary tradition that is a must-have among the families StarMetro interviewed is of course, the famous Devil’s Curry.
The main thing distinguishing Devil’s Curry from other similar dishes is the usage of vinegar in the curry, similar to the Goan vindaloo. The Portuguese curry has meat stewed with garlic and wine vinegar.
Devil’s Curry, a name probably derived from its spiciness, is usually served as part of the Christmas Day or Boxing Day lunch in Kristang households.
All three families interviewed agreed there were a few must-haves for Christmas lunch, whether on December 25 or the next.
“Devil’s Curry, achar, sebak or seybak [Chinese-derived braised pork, including offal such as pig’s ears] and stir-fried vegetables,” Maggie Nicholas, who also previously stayed in the settlement and still visits regularly, said.
“My father celebrated Christmas in a big way, and his open house tradition is something I intend to continue,” said Nicholas.
Nicholas, who took the trouble to cook Devil’s Curry in a special demonstration for StarMetro, said that while the original recipe calls for pork, one could substitute with chicken though the taste would differ slightly.
“I also know how to make achar, but tastes are changing and many of the younger generation do not really appreciate it,” she noted.
