Hi Dearies,
I think you will be curious what Chinese will do during CNY, I will share with you how I spent time with family this year.
1. Giving Red packet (Ang Bao)
This year is my first year celebrating CNY as a married person. There are two legends about Ang Pow in ancient china. In one of them, the Eight Immortals transform themselves into coins to help an elderly couple save their son from a demon named Sui. On the eve of Chinese New Year, these eight coins were wrapped in red paper and placed under the child’s pillow to ward off the demon. Parents eventually adopted this practice and would give their children money wrapped in red paper, which was termed ya sui qian 压岁钱(money that can suppress the evil).The second legend recounts the joyous occasion of the birth of the son of Emperor Xuanzong, during the Tang Dynasty. The emperor gave gold and silver coins to his concubine to be used as charms to protect the baby. The people subsequently adopted this practice and began giving money to their children as gifts, normally for people younger than you. So it is a bit heart pain, if you have lots of relatives because in Singapore, we will give $6, $8 or $10 (in even numbers), because Chinese believe good things come in pairs.
2. Reunion Dinner on Eve of CNY
It is often considered the most important get-together meal of the entire year and symbolized full family together in Chinese Traditions.
3. Putting up Decorations
The color red is much loved by the Chinese in general as it represents happiness and good fortune. Below are some popular decorations used to create festivity for the celebration.The most common word is fu 福, happiness and good fortune. It is written with calligraphy onto a square piece of red paper. These can then be pasted onto walls, doors or windows.
5. Lou Hei
In Singapore and Malaysia, we love to Lou Hei and eat Yu Sheng. “Lo Hei” in Cantonese, where 捞 “lo” (literally mixing) means “tossing up good fortune”, refers to the ritual adopted in Singapore of tossing the yu sheng and saying of auspicious phrases before eating it. We believed that the higher the toss, the better your prospects and fortune in the year ahead so you will see all kind of tossing online, and the purpose is wishing good luck in the coming year.
6. House Visiting to friends and relatives house
Once in a year event, you will need to get kids gifts and CNY goodies to express good wishes to each other and an important Chinese New Year tradition is to visit relatives. Generally speaking, people drop in at relatives and friends' houses, bringing gifts or red envelopes, and greeting one another with 'Happy New Year' within these 15 days.
Once a year even you shouldn't miss. Dress up in your new clothes and take nice photos with the lovely decorations and read up your chinese zodiac prospect this year. Also, enjoy some live calligraphy artwork by some chinese association, and bring home a piece.
I love the fireworks and the performance there.
