According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the new year begins on February 12. According to the traditional horoscope, the year 2021 is the year of the ox. The second of the Chinese zodiac signs, the ox, follows the exciting year of the Rat 0. While the mega-city has welcomed Hong Kong with top-class celebrations in recent years, this year's celebrations will take place virtually or traditionally in close-knit family circles. A number of deeply entrenched rituals, which should bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year, are central to the celebrations.
The Chinese New Year is the oldest and by far the most important Chinese festival. It is determined by the lunar calendar and usually falls between the end of January and mid-February. The first day of the 15-day festival is spent as a family in China and Hong Kong. All family members return home, the deceased are commemorated, the family and its history are celebrated and of course there is a lot of food. The last day of the celebration is marked by the Chinese Lantern Festival, when children carry red lanterns to the nearest temple. Chinese New Year is an exciting time for Hong Kong residents as it promises peace, prosperity, health and happiness. Amidst the beautiful decorations, the lively lion dances and the beautiful flower markets, where everyone wishes each other all the best, you can feel the very special atmosphere in the city.
The Year of the Ox is intended to be a year of intense activity and great energy movements. The typical Hong Kong citizen does not leave his personal happiness to chance. Numerous customs are designed to ensure that the New Year is bright. Preparations start about a month in advance with the purchase of gifts, decorations, clothing or ingredients for the Christmas menu.
Some Hong Kong people even avoid getting their hair cut or buying shoes for the festivities, as this year is said to bring bad luck. But the emphasis is not only on appearance. Many people use the Chinese New Year as an opportunity to really immerse themselves and appreciate how lucky they are to be in the company of loved ones. Before the holidays, they usually go to their bank to get money that is put in red packets (Lai See). Usually distributed to family, friends, children and employees during the holidays, Lai See are a fun way to bring happiness, joy and fortune to those younger than you. On the first day of the Chinese New Year, people usually dress in different shades of the lucky color red. It is said that red can drive away the ghosts of bad luck.
Your own home as the center of happiness However, for most locals in the metropolis, the most important tradition for the Chinese New Year is the evening meal with the whole family. In Hong Kong, there are often shrimp to eat. In Chinese, these are called "ha" and therefore sound like a laugh when spoken - so they must simply be a good omen for good luck. A classic "happy" Chinese New Year recipe is egg noodles with crab meat and crab roses. Stewed vegetables with red fermented bean curd are just as traditional. This stems from a Buddhist belief that vegetables cleanse the body and soul. And happiness in love can also be supported with the right habit. If you have a large plum blossom tree in full bloom in front of your own front door, circle it clockwise three times. And all the romantic happiness is activated for the new year.
Chinese New Year is one of the favorite times of the year for Hong Kong residents, and they celebrate it in a variety of ways. No inhabitant of the big city ignores his own four walls. Traditionally, houses are decorated with red lanterns for Chinese New Year to attract positive energy. Health, prosperity and family cohesion meanwhile bring bamboo stems and water fairies flowers, which are for sale at the Mong Kok flower market. Usually things are done that your own grandmother would have done in the past, such as not wiping fallen blossoms off the tree. If you have an orange tree in your yard, you will likely revere it intensely at the annual festivities, as orange and kumquat trees are said to bring wealth and prosperity. The skin of the fruit is often dried and used as a fragrance decoration. All these traditions are very comforting and grounding and offer a sense of continuity in one.
Time when so much changes. Since the New Year should be greeted neatly and fresh, the house is, of course, cleaned to the most secluded corner before being decorated. You can almost call it a thorough cleaning of the house, because it is freed from objects that are no longer used. Most of these are donated to charities. The highest priority in cleaning the house is to transmute all the old energies from the previous year. Care must be taken to get all of this done before the first holiday, as cleaning during the actual turn of the year would bring bad luck. This creates the best conditions to welcome all the energies of the new year with a clear and free mind.
The Chinese lion dance – Chinese New Year tradition interpreted in a modern way
The authentic Chinese lion dance remains an important tradition during the New Year celebrations. It is a traditional dance with Chinese music, usually performed by two people wearing a “lion costume”. It is also used as a good luck ritual for the inauguration of important buildings or important events. There are two different versions of the traditional lion dance art:the southern and the northern lion. The southern lion is very popular in Hong Kong, including a variant derived from the Foshan lion in Guangdong province. Today it is also popular with the younger generations. But thanks to a young toy designer from Hong Kong in the form of a toy robot series called the “Invincible Mascots”. As a prototype of the toy series, the Foshan lion can be recognized by its tilting nose and pointed horns. According to ancient legends, lion dances were held to scare away an evil monster called "Nin". That is why the young designer developed a story for his invincible mascots that refers to Chinese traditions. The story is set in the year 2085, when the Nin Beast returns, but winter is no more due to severe global warming, and so is the Chinese New Year Festival. Yinan, the protagonist of the story, is handicapped by an accident during the lion dance. However, he is miraculously healed by the Buddha and transformed into a robotic hero who expels the Nin Beast and brings back the Chinese New Year.
The “loan repayment” as a practice of believers The Hong Kong custom of “Guanyin Loan-Granting Day” has its origins in the Guanyin Temple. Guanyin Lending Day falls on the 26th day of the first lunar month every year. On this day, the Guanyin temples in various districts are full of zealous worshipers who ask Guanyin for the desired amount of “money”, which should bring them good luck and fortune in the coming year. Feng Shui master Mak Ling Ling explains that the origin of the festival is based on a story of the 500 arhats who descended to the mortal world to endure a series of trials. They incarnated as monks and went to the Guanyin temples to collect alms. Guanyin then generously gave her loan to everyone, not only supporting the efforts of the incarnate monks, but also sharing food with believers who came to worship. In the beginning, it was mainly people who work underground, such as prostitutes, who wanted to borrow "money" from Guanyin to get rich. Later on, this practice also became more and more popular with the general public. According to normal procedures, the faithful should bring their offerings – for example flowers or vegan dishes – immediately after entering the temple. You can then obtain “Loans” from Guanyin by bringing an incense offering and signing a red paper with your amount of money and a “Zodiac Sign of Wealth” on it. Red packages with loan amounts ranging from “30 million” to “1 billion” are then distributed. Good credit makes borrowing easier in the future. There is a saying that Guanyin's loans must be repaid at the end of the year.
