Chinese New Year - Traditions & Customs

What is it all about?

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the New Year and ends on the Full Moon 15 days later. In China it is also called the Spring Festival as the Lunar New Year falls when Winter is ending and Spring is beginning.

Traditionally, preparations for New Year start well in advance of New Year's Day. Every corner of the house is swept and cleaned to rid the home of the previous year's bad luck. In China, Spring couplets are written in black ink on large vertical scrolls of red paper and put on the walls or on the sides of gateways, expressing good wishes for the coming year.

After the house is cleaned, it is time to say farewell to the Kitchen God. For both Vietnamese and Chinese people, the Kitchen God is the guardian of the family hearth and reports to heaven on the behaviour of the family over the past year.

On the evening before his departure, the family feeds the Kitchen God sweet foods and honey, either as a bribe, or to seal his mouth and prevent him from saying bad things.

Food plays a very important part in New Year celebrations, with the New Year's Eve dinner gathering among the most important family occasions of the year.

Traditionally, even if a family member cannot attend, an empty seat is kept to symbolise that person's presence at the banquet.

On New Year's Day, Chinese children are given red Lai-See envelopes, good luck money wrapped in little red envelopes. Everyone wears new clothes and is on their best behaviour, as actions on this day set the tone for the year to follow.

During New Year...

Greet people with "Kung Hei Fat Choy", or "Gong Xi Far Tsai" (Happy New Year) to bring good fortune and prosperity.

Eat traditional New Year foods such as black moss seaweed (wealth), dried bean curd (wealth and happiness), and gingko nut (silver ingots).

Display tangerines, oranges and pomelos as they are symbols of good luck and wealth.

Before New Year, clean your house and sweep out the bad luck of the previous year, also make sure all debts are paid off and all grudges cast aside.

Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune.

Do not wash your hair on New Year's Day as it may wash away good luck for the year.

Let the old year out by opening every door and window in the house on the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

Ward off bad luck by draping red cloth on your doorway.

Give red lai-see "lucky money" envelopes to pass on prosperity and good luck.