Things to do for Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

Chinese New Year Traditions in Hong Kong

It’s time to say bye-bye to the pig and hello to the rat. The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and is an important holiday not only in China but across the world too. The Chinese New Year calendar shows that 2020’s New Year will fall on January 25^th so the holiday will be between 24^th and 30^th.

Things to Do

Locals and tourists alike plan months in advance for Chinese New Year activities which are incredible. Some of the activities that make the holiday special are a spectacular fireworks display, parades with huge dragons, and the traditional Chinese cuisine.

There are other ways in which you can celebrate Chinese New Year in Hong Kong but you need to be very careful so as not to break any rules in this superstitions-filled holiday. Here are some things to do it you want to maximize your luck this Chinese New Year:

• Shopping

Buy new clothes and shoes to welcome in the New Year – in red if possible. If you don’t shop before the holiday, you won’t be able to do so later on since most shops are shut for the first two days of the Chinese New Year.

Order our hampers

Send sweet delights along with blessings of success and happiness to your loved this Chinese New Year. Celebrate the year of Rat 2020 by sharing our delicious gourmet gift basket with them.

If you aren’t sure about what gifts are appropriate for CNY, we have some gift ideas for you. We will deliver all our Chinese New Year hampers for free to Hong Kong Metropolitan Areas starting 6^th-24^th January 2020 between 9am to 6pm. Here are some of our gift hampers:

• CNY Celebration Hamper

This hamper goes for HK$1,288.00. The different beverage options are French Red Wine, Kraemer Blanc de Blanc Brut Sparkling Wine, Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne, and French Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne.

Other gifts in the hamper are traditional handmade phoenix rolls, Candian Ginseng Slice, almonds, cookies, and a complimentary Gift Hampers Hong Kong message card among others.

• Golden Trio

This hamper goes for HK$1,128.00 and is great to wish your dear ones a year full of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune. It includes traditional handmade phoenix rolls, organic tea, Peninsula Chinese New Year pudding, and a complimentary Gift Hampers Hong Kong message card among others.

• New Year Merriment

This hamper goes for HK$3,288.00. The beverage options are French Red Wine, Kraemer Blanc de Blanc Brut Sparkling Wine, Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne, and French Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne.  

Other items in the hamper include original Kanson Abalone Sauce, IBN Supreme Royal Bird’s Nest with honey sugar, glutinous rice cake, and Tung Fong Hung Hairy Moss.

• Get Clean

A thorough scrub is encouraged before the CNY to wash off any bad luck. Also, visit your barber and get a haircut before the first day of Chinese New Year.

• Give out Lai See Packets

Lai See means good luck. Lai See packets are red and gold packets usually given by seniors to juniors that are a symbol for prosperity. Red packets are also given by bosses to employees, elders to children, and married couples to their single friends.

Don’t give pocket money amounts with 4 in it because the pronunciation of four in Chinese sounds like “death.”

• Settle your debts

Superstition has it that if you start the New Year in debt you will end it in debt. Settle any outstanding debt to get more money.

• Let off some firecrackers

These will scare away all the bad spirits around you – the louder the better.

• Clean and decorate the house

Give your house a good whip around and get rid of all the items you don’t use any more. If the items are still in good order, donate them to charity. Once you’re done cleaning, decorate the house with bright colors that give it a festive look and also help bring in good fortune.

Be sure to open the windows and door prior to the CNY so that fresh air can get in.

• Spend time with family

Just like Christmas, this is a good time to spend time with your family members and do some catching up.

• Eat lucky foods

Lastly, make sure that you prepare lots and lots of traditional Chinese food. Some of the foods you must eat include:

• Fish which is a symbol of increased prosperity
• Dumplings and spring rolls which are a symbol of wealth
• Sweet rice balls which are a symbol of family togetherness
• Longevity noodles which are a symbol of happiness and longevity
• Glutinous rice cake which is a symbol of a higher income or position
• Citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines which symbolize prosperity

What you shouldn’t do

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, there are some things that you shouldn’t do according to the traditions. These are:

1. Don’t wash or cut your hair
2. Don’t buy or give out books. The Chinese word for “book” sounds exactly as the word for “lose”. Other inappropriate gifts include umbrellas, pears, clocks, and shoes.
3. Don’t take out the garbage
4. Don’t eat meat and porridge for breakfast
5. Don’t do any needlework or use of knives and scissors
6. Avoid taking medicine
7. Don’t visit your parents’ house if you’re a married woman.