The Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated by many Asian cultures. It is usually celebrated over a minimum three-day period to about fifteen days surrounding the first full moon of the year. Festivities begin the day before the full moon, the day of the full moon, and the day following the full moon.
The following are some of the practices that the Chinese community in particular observe in preparation for the arrival of the new year:
1. Settle all debts before the new year. The goal of settling ones debts is to begin the New Year with a clean slate and to have sufficient funds available to provide all that will be needed to ensure a joyus celebration will be had by all.
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2. A thorough house cleaning. This is done before the new year to make sure that you do not sweep away any good luck.
3. Use special paper greetings, flowers, and fruits to decorate your home. Greeting cards and good luck symbols are tied on a blooming tree along with an abundance of fragrant flowers and fruits. It is believed the more abundant the tree is with these beautiful items, the more good luck the family will experience in the New Year
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4. New clothes for the New Year. This signified starting the new year off with a clean slate. ( the color red is considered a lucky color)
5. Celebrating the new year is a family affair with plenty of food and drink. This time is used to heal and reconcile and strengthen relationships as we transition into the New Year. Make sure all your favorite dishes, plus a few traditional are in abundance. Running water during the first day in the New Year is frowned upon because doing so denies the earth and water a day of rest.
6. Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to all! Everyone becomes a year older with the New Year, no matter when your birthday is celebrated . Give children red “Lai See” envelopes with “good luck” money inside. This tradition is also used for many other festive occasions, in lieu of modern gift-giving practices. (Instructions for Lai See Etiquette are listed below)
7. Honor Your Ancestors. Have photos of family members and loved ones on display that have passed away. It is unfortunate they cannot be there in person with you, so honor them by holding them in remembrance.
8. Cook, Cook, Cook, And Cook some more! As your favorite places may be closed on New Years Day, because others in the Asian community are also celebrating, make sure you have plenty of food to last three days!
9. Visit family, friends and build new friendships. The first day in the New Year is spent with your immediate family, the second day is often spent with good friends and special guests. Modern traditions dictate that the third day be spent celebrating with teachers and business associates.This is also a great opportunity to create new friendships and start the new year off together.
10. Pay significant attention to your actions. Recognize the first acts you perform in the New Year. Displays of anger, lying, raising your voice, indecent language and breaking anything during the first three days of the New Year is forbidden, especially the first day.
Hopefully these tips will help you celebrate with your friends in the Asian community and enjoy the wonderful traditions that accompany them.
新年快樂
Happy New Year!
Lai See Etiquette (From Geo Expat.com)
During Chinese New Year,
and stretching into the following week, you may notice a flurry of red
envelopes being exchanged almost everywhere you go. These fancy little
red envelopes, called "lai see", are packets that contain good luck
money. Giving lai see to people is a big part of Chinese New Year
celebrations, so you don't want to miss out on giving (or receiving!)
them in the following couple of weeks.
But giving lai see is not like handing out
candy to children on Halloween (unless you're one of those grumps who
don't like giving treats to the kids without costumes). There's a set of
rules you have to abide by when giving out lai see.
Locals give out lai see like it's second
nature to them, but in fact, there are different amounts distinguished
for different people and people with different marital statuses and also
people with different job positions. Starting to feel a little weary
about this whole business? You'll get the hang of it once you understand
proper lai see etiquette.
Lai see is bestowed from "big to small",
"old to young", and "senior to junior". For example, if you are the boss
or manager, you should give lai see to your employees. If you live in
an apartment complex with its own management staff, you should give lai
see to your security guard, cleaners, and doorman. Married couples also
give to their single, younger relatives, and may give two lai see
packets to each recipient (one from each spouse). If you are unmarried, you will usually only need to give one packet to each recipient.
You don't have to give lai see to everyone
you know, but keep in mind that there is a chance you may forget
somebody. People usually bring a pile of red envelopes with them
whenever they go out, just in case they might bump into someone
accidentally (and since this is Hong Kong, you probably w ill). It's best
to keep a mixture of $10, $20, $50, and $100 envelopes on you to be
ready at all times.The amount you put in the lai see is up to you, Use this handy guide to avoid any lai see
faux-pas! Don’t forget to give and receive with both hands as this is
regarded as a sign of courtesy. Also, never let children give out lai sees to older folk or service staff – this is considered insulting.
| Who? | How Much? |
| Security guard / door man / building management team / cleaning staff | $20 - $50 per person, more if you’re in a smaller building with a single guard/cleaner |
| Helper / driver | $100 (for part-time helpers) - $500 |
| Staff (if you’re the boss) | $50 - $500 |
| Colleagues and friends | $20 - $100 |
| Waitress or waiter/ barista / anyone who serves you regularly | $20 - $50 |
| Hairdresser, manicurist, massage therapist, etc. | $50 - $100 |
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