This weekend marks the start of a new Chinese lunar calendar. As we bring in the Year of the Rooster, I wanted to share what Chinese New Year is all about and how my family and I will be celebrating this year.
When is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year corresponds to the Chinese lunar calendar, so the date will vary each year. The festivities last for 15 days, from the new moon to the full moon. This year, Chinese New Year starts on Saturday 28 January. The most important dates are Chinese New Year’s Eve where families typically get together to celebrate and Chinese New Year’s Day, where families will begin visiting close family and friends.
How to Prepare for Chinese New Year
Before Chinese New Year, people usually clean their houses from top to bottom, to get rid of all the bad luck from the previous year. If any sweeping is done during the first few days after the New Year, it’s said that this will sweep away all the new luck, so be sure to get all of your spring cleaning done beforehand! Other preparations include decorating the house with messages and symbols of New Year cheer and good luck, and preparing food for the festivities.
What to Wear
During Chinese New Year, people will typically wear bright red clothes as it’s believed that the colour wards off bad fortune and evil spirits. Some people may also purchase and wear new clothes to symbolise a new beginning for the New Year. For men, this typically means a red shirt and for women, this typically means a red dress. My husband and I prefer not to buy new clothes every year, so we have red clothes on hand for special occasions such as Chinese New Year.
What to Say
There are various greetings and sayings that you may hear during Chinese New Year. However, the most common one is wishing someone “happiness and prosperity” or “gōngxǐ fācái”. For close family and friends, you can be a bit more cheeky and ask for a red envelope filled with money, by saying “gōngxǐ fācái, hóngbāo ná lái!”.
What are Chinese Red Envelopes?
Also known as red packets, or “hóngbāo’s” these are typically given to kids or unmarried adults from their parents, grandparents, family members and close family friends. The red packets symbolise happiness, good luck and blessings, and inside each packet you’ll find money. Traditionally, people should only receive red packets while their unmarried. So when they do get married, it’s time to give rather than receive! Parents will typically keep on giving red packets to their married children however, as a symbol of their love and blessings.
What to Look Forward Too
There are so many things to look forward to during Chinese New Year but my top 3 would be:
- Catching up with family. Here in Australia, my family isn’t too traditional so all of us including my extended family will catch up on the weekend closest to Chinese New Year’s Day over a delicious feast.
- Indulging in Chinese New Year treats. There are special foods and treats that are made especially for the Chinese New Year festivities. Every year, I look forward to having pineapple tarts and bak kwa, which are salty-sweet dried squares of pork, similar to jerky. I also love the “Prosperity Salad” or “Lo-Hei Yusheng”, which is a delicious raw fish salad that is tossed with chopsticks by everyone at the start of the family catchup feast. The higher, the better!
- Giving red packets. Although I have to admit receiving is a lot more fun than giving red packets, it’s a privilege to give red packets to younger family members as a married couple. They say the more you give, the more you’ll receive happiness and prosperity in return, so it’s important to be generous!
Wishing everyone a happy Chinese New Year – may the Year of the Rooster bring you much happiness, prosperity and luck!
Marie xo