5 things you didn’t know about Chinese New Year

The Chinese alphabet has a character known as ‘Fu’, which simply means ‘good luck’. People will often hang depictions of Fu, embossed onto little wooden labels, outside their homes and businesses – but always upside down.

The reason for this comes down to a cunning bit of wordplay. People hang paper Fu decorations upside down because the character for ‘upside down’ (dao) is pronounced the same as the character for ‘arrive’. Therefore, by turning Fu decorations this way, it symbolises wishing for good luck to arrive.

Paying close attention to the afterlife is an important part of the Chinese New Year festivities. People take time, in the early moments of the year, to give an auspicious boost to family members who’ve passed away.

People visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects, sometimes burning fake money by the graves as an offering – to provide their deceased loved ones with money in the afterlife.

Red is a hugely important colour during Chinese New Year, as it represents prosperity and success. Present giving will often take the form of handing little red envelopes stuffed with money to the youths of the family. Traditions around this vary by region, but typically you begin giving out envelopes to the younger generation after marriage.

These little red envelopes are known as hong bao. It’s important to remember, though, that the amount of money given in hong bao must add up to an even number. Odd numbered amounts are typically given at funerals, in accordance to traditional beliefs.

There’s a lot of homonyms when it comes to the Chinese alphabet, and those homonyms are taken seriously, not least the word for fish – ‘yu’, which echoes the pronunciation of ‘surplus’.

Therefore, fish are often given pride of place at the table during Chinese New Year feasts, and bright depictions of fish, often in the form of lanterns, are raised up and down the streets during parades and celebrations.

Food is one of the most important aspects of Chinese New Year, and dumplings are prepared and eaten because their shape represents yuanbao, an ancient Qin dynasty-era currency made from gold and silver ingots.

Traditionally, every meal eaten throughout Chinese New Year should be dumplings, though understandably many don’t adhere to this today.

That said, dumplings are delicious, so eat up! It’s important to watch how fast you eat, though. A coin can sometimes be hidden among a platter of dumplings as a sign of wealth and good luck for the person who picks it.

Thanks to Wendy Wu Tours for these tips. Xin nian kuai le!

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