Happy Chinese New Year!
What makes a Chinese New Year then?
In Guangzhou it’s a tradition to visit the Flower Markets before Chinese New Year. Each disctrict has their own market, some neighborhoods even have their own small flower market too.
You decorate your home with fresh flowers to bring in the feeling of Spring! I don’t really havea green thumb my self so I keep the plants at minimum, but my in-laws think the more the better! Here is a photo of their new flowers this year.
Paying your respects to ancestors and gods is an important part of the Spring Festival as well. You lay out tea, alcohol, fruit and food for them to eat. The smokey smell of incents fills the rooms.
A modern tradition is to go to the movies on the first day of the New Year! As 2019 rolls out the year of the pig, is Peppa Pig a huge deal this year! They made a movie just for the Chinese audience mixing real life actors and cartoons in a clever way.
Highly recommended for everyone! It’s a feel good story about the importance of family, even it might be a tad awkward if both sets of grandparents arrive at the same time!
Giving and receiving lucky money (hong bao) is of course a traditional custom as well, an important part of the Chinese New Year. The Cantonese people are rather practical and when people from other provinces circulate hundreds or thousands of RMB, the Cantonese prefer to keep it small.
Where as between family kids might get 200RMB, more distant relatives or children of old classmates might get between 20-50RMB.
Happy Chinese New Year to all family, friends and readers!
The Chinese horoscope says that pig rolls out a joyous year, but one should make well-considered actions instead of taking risks. (source)
