Guide to Chinese New Year Eve Customs in Hong Kong
Chinese New Year (CNY) is the most significant traditional festival in Hong Kong, filled with vibrant celebrations and deep-rooted customs. Chinese New Year’s Eve, the day before the Lunar New Year, is a time of preparation, family bonding, and festive activities. Here’s a Hong Kong Florist guide to help you understand and participate in these traditions.
1. Spring Cleaning and Home Decorations
Spring Cleaning: In the days leading up to New Year’s Eve, families clean their homes thoroughly to sweep away bad luck and make space for good fortune. On the eve itself, cleaning is avoided to prevent "sweeping away" any luck that has arrived.
Decorating the Home:
Red Decorations: Homes are adorned with red couplets (chunlian) featuring auspicious phrases, paper cuttings, and red lanterns to symbolize prosperity and happiness.
Peach Blossoms and Kumquat Trees: Peach blossoms represent love and prosperity, while kumquat trees signify wealth. Both are popular decorations in Hong Kong households.
Fai Chun: Traditional calligraphy banners with phrases like “Gong Hei Fat Choi” (Wishing You Prosperity) are hung around doors.
2. Reunion Dinner (Tuen Nian Fan, 團年飯)
The highlight of Chinese New Year’s Eve is the Reunion Dinner, a time for family members to gather and enjoy a sumptuous meal.
Dishes and Symbolism:
Fish (魚): Symbolizes surplus and abundance (since the word "fish" sounds like "surplus" in Chinese).
Dumplings (餃子): Represent wealth because their shape resembles gold ingots.
Nian Gao (年糕): A glutinous rice cake that symbolizes rising success in the coming year.
Spring Rolls (春卷): Represent wealth due to their golden, treasure-like appearance.
Vegetarian Dishes: Often include symbolic ingredients like black moss (fat choy) for prosperity.
Custom: Some families deliberately leave part of the fish uneaten to ensure the surplus carries into the new year.
3. Ancestral Worship
Many families pay respects to their ancestors on Chinese New Year’s Eve by visiting ancestral tablets or graves. Offerings such as food, incense, and symbolic paper money are presented to show gratitude and seek blessings for the year ahead.
4. Giving Red Envelopes (Lai See, 利是)
Though traditionally exchanged on New Year’s Day, some families prepare and distribute lai see envelopes on New Year’s Eve. These red packets, filled with money, are a gesture of good luck and blessings, typically given by married adults to children and younger, unmarried relatives.
5. Flower Market Visits
A popular New Year’s Eve activity in Hong Kong is visiting the Flower Markets. The most famous market is held in Victoria Park, where locals shop for:
Lucky flowers such as peach blossoms, orchids, and chrysanthemums.
Traditional New Year’s decorations and snacks.
Festive trinkets and souvenirs.
Tip: The markets are open late into the night, and visiting them is a vibrant, joyful experience filled with bargaining and lively crowds.
6. Watching the Fireworks and Countdown
Although the major fireworks display takes place on the second day of Chinese New Year, some neighborhoods and malls host countdown events on New Year’s Eve. These are less formal than Western New Year’s Eve celebrations but still fun to experience.
7. Abstaining from Certain Activities
Chinese New Year’s Eve also involves avoiding actions that are considered unlucky, such as:
Using sharp objects (knives or scissors) to prevent cutting off good fortune.
Quarreling or using negative language.
Lending or borrowing money.
8. Staying Up Late (Shou Sui, 守歲)
Many families stay awake late on New Year’s Eve, a custom known as Shou Sui. It is believed to bring longevity to parents and ensure a prosperous new year. Families often spend this time watching TV shows, chatting, or playing traditional games like mahjong.
9. Preparing for New Year’s Day
Before the clock strikes midnight, families prepare for the first day of the Lunar New Year:
Wearing new clothes: Brightly colored outfits, particularly in red, are chosen for their auspicious symbolism.
Preparing offerings: Fruit, sweets, and tea are placed on altars to welcome the gods of wealth and blessings.
Key Tips for Visitors
Respect the Culture: If you’re invited to a reunion dinner, bring gifts like mandarin oranges, wine, or tea as a token of appreciation.
Dress Appropriately: Avoid wearing black or white, as these are colors associated with mourning.
Be Early for Flower Markets: Markets get very crowded in the evening, so arrive early to enjoy browsing.
With its unique blend of ancient traditions and modern energy, Hong Kong’s Chinese New Year’s Eve is a magical time. Whether you’re enjoying a family dinner, strolling through the flower market, or simply soaking in the festive atmosphere, the experience is sure to be unforgettable.
