Crossing Into the New Year Through the Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner: the Case of the Chinese Ethnic Consumers in Malaysia

A stream of consumer research has investigated consumption symbolism in the context of festivities such as Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas. However, very little is known about the social meanings associated with festivities in a non-Western context. This working paper is based on an extensive ethnography of the Chinese New Year reunion dinner and associated consumption activities among Chinese ethnic consumers in Malaysia. It explores the symbolic meanings, motives and practices predominantly characterised the reunion dinner consumption. The analysis sought to identify conceptual categories and themes which similarities and differences between the different age groups of respondents are explored.

Citation:

Bee Chuan Sia and Ahmad Jamal (2011) ,"Crossing Into the New Year Through the Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner: the Case of the Chinese Ethnic Consumers in Malaysia", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 588-589.