This February 10th sees the Chinese year of the dragon give way to the Chinese New Year of the snake. The Chinese New Year snake represents luck and wealth so is considered very lucky for babies born around the time of the Chinese New Year.
Different parts of China have very different new year traditions and ways of celebrating the new year but the most typical Chinese New Year traditions include:
- Chinese new year’s eve dinner – normally a huge family reunion dinner with everyone eating dumplings and fish which both represent prosperity for the forthcoming new year
- Fireworks – a Chinese celebration would not be a proper celebration without fireworks! Come midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve fireworks will be set off around China to ward off evil
- Red envelopes – red envelopes are traditionally given to children by adults, especially married couples, with the belief that the money contained in the red Chinese envelopes will keep the children safe, healthy and long living
- Chinese Decorations – a few days before Chinese New Year, people do a complete clean of their houses, getting rid of the old and welcoming the new year. Everyone then decorates their houses with red; red Chinese garlands, large traditional Chinese painting, red paper cuttings of animals, people and flowers and red paper lanterns. Chinese lanterns traditionally used during Chinese new year are made of paper simply for decoration, lights and candles are not hung inside the traditional lanterns, but all red Chinese lanterns are hung in windows and by front doors to ward off evil spirits.
The Chinese New year celebrations are set to be the most important of the Chinese calendar and Chinese communities across the world will be celebrating for around 15 days! Our red hanging lanterns are available in nylon and paper if you wanted to hang traditional Chinese lanterns in your windows and porches and welcome the year of the Chinese snake.