The Chinese New Year Series: The Bai Nian Gift Panacea

4 MOST POPULAR GIFTS TO GIVE FOR BAI NIAN (拜年)

Bai Nian, 拜年, is when you visit your friends’ and family’s houses to exchange Chinese New Year Greetings to each other (If you want to learn the most basic ones, please see post here).  Once the Chinese New Year Greetings are exchanged, lucky money then also gets exchanged (Depending on your status, you either give one or receive one… See our infographic to see if you give or receive, here). Now, this bai nian extravaganza starts on “chu 1” (初一), the day after Chinese New Years’ Eve as based from the lunar calendar.  And the Chinese are very polite; therefore, us guests don’t show up to a person’s home empty handed…  So what’s an appropriate gift?

The Chinese New Year Series: The Lucky Money Complexity

THE LUCKY MONEY COMPLEXITY:  WHO GIVES AND WHO RECEIVES?

Happy Chinese New Year!  When I was growing up, I loved the Lucky Money tradition during Chinese New Year.  In fact, it was probably my favourite part of Chinese New Year.  I mean,  what’s not to like?  I say a Chinese New Year Greeting (if you want to learn how to say the 21 Most Popular Greetings, then click here), and bham, I received a red envelope containing money.  It’s awesome right?

But now, as I grow older and thereby, more mature (methinks), I start to wonder, when do I give a lucky money, and from whom do I receive one from?  So I went around and asked my HK coworkers, and it’s actually very simple and boils down to 3 simple questions.  Read on to find out what they are.

THE CHINESE NEW YEAR SERIES: HOW TO “GET LUCKY” THIS YEAR

LOOKING FOR LOVE?  GET LUCKY THIS YEAR WITH THE TAO HUA YUN (PEACH BLOSSOM LUCK 行桃花運）

Single and ready to mingle?  Perhaps some Chinese New Year Tao Hua Luck can help with your love endeavours.

Tao hua, 桃花, is peach blossom and it is a flower/plant/tree seen everywhere during Chinese New Year as it is the symbol of romance luck and you can certainly purchase it at any Chinese New Year Night Fair (年宵).

Of course, for the auspicious Chinese, Tao Hua Luck is based on Feng Shui principles and once the Tao Hua Luck is “activated”, the feng shui masters says that the person in question will be irresistible to the opposite sex.  Think, single eligible men or women falling from the sky and landing  right in front of your feet, completely head over heels with you and uninjured from the journey, of course.  WHO DOESN’T WANT THAT?!?!

So find out how to “get lucky” this year!

The Chinese New Year Series: The Chinese Snack Box Importance

10 MOST COMMONLY SEEN FOODS IN THE COMPLETE BOX (全盒) AKA SNACK BOX.

Now, no household is complete with their CNY decorations unless they have a 全盒 (Literally translates to “Complete Box”).    

There are a lot of Chinese auspicious traditions for Chinese New Year and the Complete box is no exception.  It is usually a shade of red (auspicious colour for the Chinese) and it’s named the complete box because well, it symbolizes that there is nothing missing and that you have everything you need for the upcoming new year.

So what goes inside this Complete Box?  Lots of yummy goodies!  Alongside with the Complete Box, you also will eat a lot of different snacks…  Every single one with an auspicious name or  meaning of course.  So when do you see the Complete Box?  When you go to Bai Nian (click here if you want to learn the most common Bai Nian greetings) at your friends’ and family’s house, they will offer you snacks from this Complete Box.  And might one expect to consume from this Complete Box?  Read on to find out!