This is a photo of the things we would have at home each Chinese New Year
To the Chinese people, the Chinese New Year is equivalent to the celebration of Christmas for the West. Since Chinese New Year is such an important celebration, there is a hoard of Chinese customs and traditions surrounding this festival. In Hong Kong, many people follow the Chinese customs and traditions at the Chinese New Year, although modifications and adaptations may be made for convenience. In certain localities, such as the New Territories in Hong Kong and rural mainland China, the traditions are followed much more closely.
The main colour during Chinese New Year is red. It is the lucky colour for the Chinese. Other bright colours such as gold, yellow, orange are also frequent. Black, white, and blue are considered pale and not usually used.
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Decorations and Preparations
A Calendar of the Chinese New Year (finally did one in good time for 2004!)
Red Packets (Laisee)
This is a photo of the things we would have at home each Chinese New Year
Box of Plenty
The Box of Plenty is the most common "decoration" in Chinese homes during the Chinese New Year. This is quite a modern Box, in fact, the more traditional ones are just round red boxes with a lid, and divided into sections inside.
In the middle of the box, there are some melon seeds (fried and dyed red). There are also some chocolate "gold coins". There are candies in the surrounding boxes. The traditional ones have sugared lotus seeds, sugared lotus root, sugared winter melon, and some sweets. Ours (and many more modern ones) have chocolate.
Flower or Plants
My family usually have daffodils and some red flowers. Sometimes a red ribbon is tied around the daffodils. I forgot what daffodils can possibly mean, but they are very pretty at the time and smells nice. Red flowers continue the theme of red colours, and are linked to "having good business".
Peach blossom (business, love/romance), small pots of tangerines (luck) and a kind of ornamental yellow fruit (five generations together) are also common.
Fruits
Fruits, such as oranges, apples and tangerines are the most common (note their colours again!). The fruits are often used for worshipping.
Chinese Snacks
There is usually some Chinese snacks around the house during Chinese New Year. Most of these snacks are deep fried, so they have to be kept in air tight containers to keep them crispy (and they are fattening!). The snack in this glass bottle is the deep fried taro strips.
In 2005, the first day of the Chinese New Year is on Feb 9 (sorry late update I know!). The first day of the New Year is different every year because it is held according to the Chinese Lunar calendar. A lunar calendar uses the moon instead of the sun to divide a year. It is going to be the year of the Rooster! (Rooster paper cut from this page which has photos of papercut techniques.)
8 days before Chinese New Year
Day of Thanking (bribing!) the Kitchen God. Offering are made to the Kitchen God, who is believed to report the doings of mortals to the Emperor in the Heaven. Usually maltose will be offered, because it is very sticky and is said to stick the lips of the Kitchen God together, so that he cannot gossip to the Emperor!
3 days before the Chinese New Year
Day of cleaning. This is supposedly the last day for cleaning before the Chinese New Year. The house will be cleaned thouroughly, bedsheets will be changed, the floor will be sweeped... etc. Afterwards, preparation for festive foods will begin.
On the Eve of the Chinese New Year
Day for the Reunion Supper. The whole family will have the supper together. Even people working far from their homes will return to have this supper. At the supper, there should be a vegetable dish, a chicken dish, a fish, some preserved meat, and some roasted pork. Usually the dishes will have been used for worshipping. (Yep,
After the supper, we would go to the Flower Market (though it is possible to go a few days earlier). In 2002, I've went to the market and you can see the photos here! After that I haven't been able to go coz I'm at school in UK...
Red packets are given to children or unmarried adults on this night and placed under their pillows or mattresses, which is supposed to ward away evil.
First day of the Chinese New Year
We would visit our father's relatives. In the morning, we would go to have a vegetarian breakfast with our father's parents. Then we would go out to visit our father's uncles, aunts, and cousins. Children or unmarried adults will receive red packes from married relatives. Red packets are sometimes also given to maids or doorguards.
There must be NO cleaning on this day. We do not sweep the floor or dump garbage, because it means "throwing money away". We don't cut our hair or wash our hair, because it is considered as "cutting away your good luck". We do take a bath, though!
In Hong Kong, we have a New Year's Parade on this morning.
Second day of the Chinese New Year
The second day of the Chinese New Year. We would visit our mother's relatives. We would go to have a meal with our mother's parents. Then we would go out to visit our mother's uncles, aunts, and cousins. Children or unmarried adults will receive red packes from married relatives.
We can clean things again on this day. In Hong Kong, we also have fireworks on this evening.
Third day of the Chinese New Year
Day of Arguments. We are not supposed to visit any relatives on this day, because it is thought to lead to arguments. (After all, who won't be a little worn out after meeting so many people in two days!) However, in Hong Kong, we would usually still go and visit some friends we haven't met yet on the last two days. Aren't we really efficient? ^_^
Fourth to Sixth day of the Chinese New Year
On each day, a kind of animal will be having its birthday. That day, they will not sell the meat of that kind of animal in the market. For example, on the Ox's birthday, no beef will be sold.
Seventh day of the Chinese New Year
This is the Birthday of Humans.
This is a birthday for everybody-- including you and me~! ^-^
Red packets are little red envelopes with money inside. Generally they are given to young people and/or unmarried people, although sometimes we give them to elderly relatives (just to be nice!)
They are red in colour because red is a traditional colour for joyous occassions. They usually have gold printings on them, or are very colourful.
There are many kinds of red packets. Some have traditional drawings and words of blessing.
Fish: Plentiness
Tangerine: Good luck
Horse: Energetic
Flowers: Prosperity
Some, like those on the right, have cartoons on them. Don't they look nice? (The Minnie Mouse one even got a little jingle on it)