When December ends, Hong Kong undresses from its Christmas festivities and gets decked out in lucky red for the most anticipated holiday of the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year.
It’s the best time to watch this eclectic city reconnect with its roots, as celebrations bring an entirely unique aura. People follow age-old traditions to welcome the in the new year. This January 31 we welcome the, high-spirited and charming, year of the Horse 馬 with open arms – all in hopes of bringing good luck to our families, our communities, and our beloved home of Hong Kong.
The city vividly blossoms in colors of red and gold, blessings echo from one conversation to the next, and positive energy and optimism radiates from everyone.
Team lululemon Hong Kong hosted a lunar yoga event at The Flying Winemaker.
So, book your hair appointment, buy your outfit, finish all your grocery and gift shopping and sweep the floor before the 31st comes around – it’s bad luck to go for a trim, purchase new kicks or clean during the holiday. Some of these ancient rituals, which begin days, even weeks before New Year’s Day, are believed to shun away evil and bring good luck.
The fifteen-day holiday typically involves a whole lot of travel, with locals heading back to their hometowns to reunite with friends and relatives. In this bustling city, its a time to bring the people back to what really matters: friends, family and time spent together.
Homes are decorated with positive phrases and blessings surrounding health, luck, prosperity and success. Other common decorations include the character “fok” (meaning good fortune), lanterns, and plants. Check out the flower markets in Prince Edward and Victoria Park for the popular kumquat plants, peach blossoms, and water lilies.
Hours before New Years Day, a few race to temples to light the first incense of the New Year, while most would wander the flower markets or even stay home with their families to avoid the crowds before their family reunion dinner on New Years Eve.
Yogi's saddling up for the year of the horse at our rejuvenating lunar yoga and goals workshop.
Foodies like myself are particularly excited for this time of year. During visits, hosts welcome guests with the eight-compartment prosperity box, filled with traditional candies made from red melon and lotus seeds, longan, peanuts, coconut and candied melon.
Of all the specialties, Niángāo (new year’s cake) is a must-have this time of year. Made with glutinous rice, it’s naturally gluten-free and has a sweet distinctive chewiness. Locals love to pan fry it with scrambled eggs.
Niángāo, photo courtesy of Mankasutra
One of the largest parts of Chinese New Year are the lunar horoscopes based on your birth year. The compatibility of Chinese zodiacs differs annually for the twelve signs, which is always a hot conversation starter this time of year. Locals are deeply intrigued by this and strive to make lifestyle changes accordingly to adjust and align their signs for a smoother year.
Chinese New Year is much more than the celebrations and festivities. People's consistent efforts of welcoming in the new year according to tradition reflect the great significance of good luck, prosperity and health to the people’s everyday lives.
恭禧發財!
Tell us, what’s your animal sign and element?
