Chinese New Year is a significant celebration in Hong Kong. It is observed on the first day of the Lunar calendar, which usually falls at the end of January or early February. In Hong Kong, the first three days of Chinese New Year are declared public holidays.
If you are visiting Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, know that shops may have special opening hours during this festive period, i.e. late opening or early closing hours. Some local shops may be closed for a few days but there are still plenty of things to do in Hong Kong.
In fact, you can take part in the celebration. Here are some customs and traditions that locals do, as well as some Do’s and Don’ts that must be kept in mind to ensure a great and promising new year.
Preparing for Chinese New Year
You know Chinese New Year is approaching when you walk past shopping malls and they are putting up Chinese New Year decorations. Red packet shops reappeared at the corner of the street, shops started to advertise gift boxes, and flower markets began everywhere.
Gift Shopping
Chinese New Year is a special occasion for families and friends to come together. It’s important to show respect by never arriving empty-handed. Traditionally, people purchase gift boxes and hampers to bring along. Nowadays, there are many promotions and early bird offers for gift boxes, which are often beautifully designed and creatively packaged.
Snack Box Shopping
In Chinese culture, it is customary to have a snack box in every home that contains various traditional sweets. These sweets are typically served to entertain guests who visit your home during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Each traditional sweet has a corresponding meaning that is believed to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.
In our family, however, we have opted to replace the traditional sweets with candies and chocolates. While we still honor the age-old tradition of serving sweets to our guests, we have modernized this custom to suit our preferences. We believe that our guests will appreciate the variety of candies and chocolates that we offer, and we are happy to share the joy of the holiday season with them in this way.
Do not give books and shoes as gifts
During Chinese New Year, it is common to see many shoe stores offering promotions. However, locals tend to avoid buying shoes during this time because the Cantonese word for shoes sounds like a sigh, which is considered a bad omen. Similarly, the word for book in Cantonese sounds like “defeat”, so it is also considered unlucky to give books as gifts during this time. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid gifting shoes and books during Chinese New Year.
Prepare Red Packets
Red packets or “lai see” are commonly given as gifts during special occasions, especially during the Chinese New Year. It is customary to put brand-new bills inside the red packets as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. This practice has led to long queues outside banks in Hong Kong just before Chinese New Year. To make the process more convenient, many banks in Hong Kong now offer an online service where customers can reserve new notes ahead of time. This ensures that they have enough new bills to distribute to their loved ones during the festive season.
Visit Flower Markets
Flowers play an important role in decoration during the festive season. Each flower holds a special meaning, which is why flower markets are set up weeks before the festival. If you are willing to take a risk and looking for a great deal, visit the markets on Chinese New Year’s Eve. They usually offer big discounts on the last day.
Cleaning the house
Cleaning the house is considered a significant tradition in many cultures, especially before the start of a new year. It is believed that cleaning the house not only prepares it for guests but also brings good luck and prosperity. This practice is rooted in the belief that cleaning the house before the new year means removing the bad luck and negative energy from the previous year.
Chinese New Year
In Hong Kong, the first three days are considered public holidays. However, in Mainland China, they have seven-day holidays.
Lion Dance
Lion Dance is a festive dance that involves two performers in a lion costume. It is believed that the lion can chase away evil spirits and bring good fortune. You know there is a lion dance nearby because most of the time, it is accompanied by beating drums and cymbals. It is one of the important traditions during Chinese New Year.
Family Gathering
Family gather together to enjoy festive dishes such as Poon Choi, a traditional Cantonese casserole filled with layers of ingredients that symbolize good luck and fortune. Some families, like ours, avoid eating meat on the first day of the year. Other festive dishes include turnip cake, rice cake, and water chestnut cake.
Annual Chinese New Year Night Parade
This year, the annual night parade that is held in Tsim Sha Tsui every Chinese New Year, is back after five-year hiatus. The parade features floats and dance performances by local and international dancers. Learn more about the events for the Chinese New Year here.
Incense Offering at Wong Tai Sin
Every year, worshippers flock to Wong Tai Sin Temple to be the first to offer incense at the temple. They believe the first to offer incense will get the biggest blessings for the coming year.
Che Kung Festival
Another temple that gets very crowded during Chinese New Year is Che Kung Temple. Most people visit Sha Tin Che Kung Temple on the second or third day of the year. This is the busiest time to visit the temple because it is Che Kung’s birthday. Worshippers turn the copper windmill to attract good fortune for the coming year. Be sure to turn the windmill in a clockwise direction!
Receive Red packets
Red packets or lai sees, symbolize good luck, it is one of the most looked forward things for many kids in the family. Married couples and elder family members give out red packets to younger generations who are still studying or unmarried.
Red packets are not limited to family members only. During this festive season, locals always have a few red packets in their bags, to give to people such as security guards, cleaning staff, neighbor’s children, and other people that they might bump into. The management in the companies also gives red packets to their employees on the first working day after Chinese New Year as a sign of a good start for work in the coming year.
Do not throw garbage
It is considered bad luck to throw away garbage on the first day of the year. This superstition is based on the belief that getting rid of waste symbolically rids one’s life of good luck and prosperity. This practice is meant to ensure that the new year starts on a positive note and that good fortune continues throughout the year.
Do not visit friends or family on 3rd day of Chinese New Year
The third day of the year is known to have arguments with friends and families, so locals avoid going to their friend’s and family’s homes on this day. Hence, most people choose this day to visit temples such as Che Kung Temple.
Wear new or colorful clothes
Before the start of the New Year, people traditionally buy new clothes, especially red ones because red symbolizes luck. However, nowadays, people are not that strict anymore. Most people wear any color except black and white because these colors symbolize grief and mourning.
Open red packets on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year
In Chinese culture, it is considered impolite to open the red packet in front of the giver. Instead, it is customary to express appreciation and wait until later to open the red packet. In fact, the 15th day of the Lunar New Year, also known as the Lantern Festival, is traditionally when the red packets are opened, as it marks the end of the New Year celebrations.
Some common greetings for Chinese New Year
Here are some useful greetings to say to people you met during the Chinese New Year. I hope you find this post helpful!
- 恭喜發財 [gung1 hei2 faat3 choi4] – May you be happy and prosperous!
- 新年快樂 [san1 nin4 faai3 lok6]- Happy New Year!
- 心想事成 [sam1 seung2 si6 sing4] – May all your wishes come true!
- 笑口常開 [siu3 hau2 seung4 hoi1] – May your year be filled with an abundance of smiles and laughter!
- 身體健康 [san1 tai2 gin6 hong1] – Wishing you good health!
- 生意興隆 [sang1 yi3 hing1 lung4] – May your business flourish in the coming year!