Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is just right around the corner, as it is considered the most important festival amongst several Asian countries including China, Korea and Vietnam. Unlike the rest of the world, Lunar New Year goes by the lunar calendar, rather than solar, it symbolizes a fresh start of the year with hope and prosperity. This article will dive deep into the cultural significance of this traditional holiday and what to look out for if you happen to be in Hong Kong during that time of year.
Foods
Lunar New Year has a long history with its origin that be traced back to as far as 4,000 years ago. During Lunar New Year, people tend to celebrate with their family and friends by gathering together, giving out and receiving red envelopes, lighting up firecrackers etc. Red envelopes are a signature item when it comes to lunar new year as it represents good fortune; people tend to put money inside and give them out to their juniors. Not to mention, only people that are married are allowed to prepare red envelopes. In terms of food, there is a huge variety of candies available for the occasion such as chocolate gold coins, coconut candy, ginger candy, melon seeds, fried dough twists and many more. Aside from candies, there are many types of pastries available like nian gao which is mostly made out of brown sugar and rice glutinous flour; others such as turnip cake and taro cake are also considered comfort food.
Activities
As to activities, lighting up firecrackers is amongst one of the most popular things to do during Lunar New Year; however, it is prohibited in Hong Kong due to its hazardous nature. On the other hand, lion dance is also quite popular as you will see it in the streets of Hong Kong with crowds surrounding the performance. Likewise, red couplets also known as “Fai Chun” are posted almost everywhere you go. Fai Chuns are also symbols that represent good luck and opulence.
Things to Look Out For
Be mindful that the first three days of Lunar New Year are regarded as public holidays in Hong Kong, so do expect most places will be closed during that time period. It is recommended that it would be best to make arrangements with your local business partners if you are coming to Hong Kong for a meeting during Lunar New Year, you may want to put on traditional Chinese clothing or maybe even prepare some traditional Chinese snacks for this special occasion.
We hope this article helps you better understand the background of Lunar New Year. If you have further questions or would like to form a company with us, please do not hesitate to contact us via email at info@cheapincorp.com or message us at +852 5404 0902 on WhatsApp.