Chinese New Year: An Introduction

Wishing all my readers a very Happy Chinese New Year!

A new year means new hopes, new resolutions and a brand new set of challenges. I hope everyone has had a good start to the new year: filled with positive energy, good food and good company!

Chinese New Year is a time where family members come together and bond over conversations, good food, (sometimes gambling) and games. It's also a time where little kids (like me) crowd around the adults and greet them in exchange for angpau. ($$$) I remember looking forward to Chinese New Year a lot because it was one of the only times that my parents would allow me to drink soft drinks. It was also the only time of the year when we could get nga ku, or also known as arrowhead chips. I remember helping my mom prepare the arrowhead chips and prawn crackers; and watching my grandmother make the tasty egg rolls that we all love. My family used to make a lot of our delectable treats on our own: there was rarely a need for us to buy pre-made biscuits or treats.

The Chinese are rather superstitious: I remember a bunch of Dos and Don'ts that I had to adhere to ever since I was a child. Just to share a few:

DOs

1. Always say good wishes and greetings during Chinese New Year

2. Hang a red cloth over your door to usher in good luck

3. Give money to children (ME) in red packets, or angpaus 

4. Wear RED! Red is the colour of prosperity and good luck

4. Visit your family members and friends

5. Attend reunion dinner!

6. EAT A LOT!!!

DON'TS

1. Wash your hair on the first day of Chinese New Year: 
It is said that you will wash away all your luck for the whole year, and you will end up having a lot of headaches

2. Cut your nails

3. Sweep the floor on the first day of Chinese new Year: 
It is said that by sweeping the floor on the first day, you will sweep away all the good luck from your home

4. Wash Clothes
You'd be washing away good luck

5. Wear Black
Not only will your Chinese grandma nag at you for bringing bad luck to her home, your aunties and uncles will comment on your clothing choices, food choices, life choices...

6. Withdraw money from the bank
There's this belief that if you withdraw money from the bank during the first day of CNY, you would have to end up withdrawing money from the bank often...

7. Go to Funerals


With that said, do enjoy your Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai