Chinese New Year celebration History:

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the 'Year'(Nian ). The 'Year' looks like an ox with a lion head and inhabits in the sea. At the night of New Year's Eve, the 'Year' will come out to harm people, animals, and properties. Later, people found that the 'Year' fears the color red, fire, and loud sounds. Therefore, for self-protection, people formed the habit of posting red Dui Lian in front of their house as well as launching fireworks, and hanging lanterns at year end.

 

Colourful and aromatic New Year shopping:

Join the locals as they hit the flower markets in search of the perfect bloom to bring them good luck for the coming year. In return, you’ll be treated to a riot of colours and aromas!

 

 

Chinese New Year celebration 2020 Auspicious foods:

Food is an essential ingredient to almost all Chinese festivals, Chinese New Year being anything but the exception. Here's a list of what's cooking on the Chinese New Year menu and why:

• Black moss: In Cantonese this is called 'fat choi', which sounds like 'prosperity'.

• Dried oysters: Its Cantonese word 'ho si' sounds similar to 'good business', which is music to many ears in this entrepreneurial city.

• Steamed glutinous rice cake: In Chinese, 'glutinous rice cake' is phonetically close to 'higher year', meaning that eating steamed glutinous rice cake each year symbolises raising oneself higher.

• Braised black moss pig’s trotter: This dish represents getting extra, unexpected income, which is desired by business folk and those having a flutter on Chinese New Year Race Day.

• Tongyuen: These are sweet glutinous rice balls. In Chinese, tongyuen sounds like 'reunion', which is especially important in a family-conscious city that's populated by migrants from all over China and has sent emigrants to all corners of the world. 

 

 

The 15 days of Chinese New Year 2020:

You’ve heard of the 12 days of Christmas, but what about the 15 days of Chinese New Year? Here’s a guide to what Hongkongers get up to during the festival.

 

Chinese New Year's Eve: The house has survived a furious spring cleaning and red banners with auspicious couplets have been diligently pasted on the front door. Now it's time to gorge on a family reunion meal, walk off the calories in a flower market, and light incense in the Wong Tai Sin Temple in the early hours of the new year.

Chinese New Year's Day:

(Day 1):        Today people drop by to visit some relatives and pop into a temple to light incense and pay respect to their ancestors. Things then rev up for the evening with the glamorous International Chinese New Year Night Parade.

 

Day 2:        Married daughters return to their parents' homes for a meal today. The night sky is then set ablaze with an incredible fireworks display over Victoria Harbour.

 

Day 3:        The third day of the year, called 'chec hao', is unfortunately considered a likely time to get into a spat. It's therefore advised to avoid argumentative types on this day and head to a Che Kung temple for some divine help in keeping things cool. Thousands of locals hit the track today for some horse-racing action.

 

Day 4:        After three days of downtime, Hong Kong has finally reopened for business. That means we can all hit the shops again, phew!

 

Day 7:        Called 'yen yat', the seventh day of Chinese New Year is the common man's birthday. Wish yourself and everyone you meet a happy birthday!

 

Day 15:        The last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations is known as the Spring Lantern Festival. Today Hongkongers enjoy lantern displays, traditional performances and even lantern riddle contests.   

 

 

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