By: KnowBe4 HR
Published: 16 Feb 2022
Last Updated: 28 Mar 2022
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures. It is celebrated for 15 days and marks the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season. In today's blog, we hear from some of our Knowsters on how they celebrated Lunar New Year 2022!
How do you celebrate the Lunar New Year?
I celebrated with my loved ones by visiting relatives, having our traditional reunion dinner, and doing the Lo Hei (Prosperity Toss). We also eat plenty of Chinese New Year goodies!
Do you have any traditions you would like to share?
We have several traditions. We do not wash our hair on the first day of the New Year, and we also avoid household chores, as it means sweeping away good luck! Secondly, we gift Ang Baos (red envelopes usually containing money), which symbolize well wishes. We also exchange two oranges as an act of exchanging prosperity with one another. The final day of the Lunar New Year is also known as the First Night Festival! Tangyuan-filled glutinous rice balls in the shape of the full moon are a traditional dessert that is served. The sweet rice balls symbolize a reunion. KnowBe4 gifted us Chinese New Year Pineapple Tarts, which my family enjoyed as well! Thank you for the sweet gift, KnowBe4!
How do you celebrate the Lunar New Year?
Chinese New Year is celebrated with family and friends to usher in the new year as a united family. I celebrated with my partner and nieces and nephews.
Do you have any traditions you would like to share?
During New Year's Eve, we have a reunion dinner with our family in a form of a steamboat or Pen Cai (碰菜). It is served in a large wooden washbasin filled with all the best ingredients, mostly seafood and meat.
Before the food, we have YuSheng, also known as the Prosperity Toss, which consists of strips of raw fish, mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces. To mix all the ingredients together, we toss the food high, which symbolizes good wealth. The act of tossing the food high represents Bu Bu Gao Sheng (步步高升), referring to “reaching a higher level with each step”.
During the Chinese New Year, we also have snacks like pineapple tarts and Bak Kwa (dried pork slices). When visiting guests, we present mandarin oranges as a form of good luck and prosperity. In our Chinese New year traditions, married couples give the children red packets to protect and provide blessings for a wonderful year ahead!
How do you celebrate the Lunar New Year?
I celebrated by cleaning and decorating my home with red banners and shades of red because it symbolizes good fortune, vitality, and prosperity. I also enjoyed a family reunion dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve. We exchanged red envelopes on the first day of Lunar New Year up to the 15th day. I also visited relatives. We exchanged a wide variety of food; ranging from mandarin oranges, peanuts to assorted cookies and cakes.
Do you have any traditions you would like to share?
During Chinese Lunar New Year, you'll see the exchange of red envelopes as tokens of well wishes. Following the Chinese New Year guidelines, money packed into the envelopes should be an even number. I miss seeing the lion dance, which is one of the most important traditions of Chinese New Year. Normally, companies in Singapore would have a lion dance troupe to perform at the office to welcome employees back to work. It is performed to bring prosperity and good luck for the upcoming year. The lion dance is also a way to create a festive atmosphere and bring happiness.
How did you celebrate the Lunar New Year?
I celebrated in a few ways. First, prior to the New Year, the homes are usually swept. It is customary not to sweep, mop, scrub or wash on the first day of the Lunar New Year lest the good luck be swept away! To usher in the New Year, the Chinese wear new clothes and sometimes sport fresh hairdos. As cutting one’s hair is seen as cutting off one’s luck, many people choose to get a haircut before the Chinese New Year. Thus, many local salons usually charge a premium for services during this period. Our reunion dinner is usually on Chinese New Year’s Eve. The whole family gets together to celebrate their love and respect for each other. The reunion dinner has tons of food as the Chinese believe that it will give the family material wealth in the new year ahead. Also, some wear auspicious colors and prepare a sum of money to deposit for extra luck. Singaporeans believe in the practice of depositing cash into their own bank accounts on the auspicious day of "li chun" (the start of spring in the Chinese calendar). We believe that this will boost one’s wealth and ensure good luck.
Every year in Singapore, we have an event called "River HongBao" that has vibrant light displays around the Marina Bay Area. This event has been virtual for the last two years due to the pandemic.
Do you have any traditions you would like to share?
I mention many traditions above, but I do have a fun fact to share! Did you know that bamboo leaves are traditionally used to sweep and clean houses? Some folks believe that using bamboo helps you chase out evil spirits when you clean the house.
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How did you celebrate the Lunar New Year?
While festivities were a little more subdued this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions, I still had a good time sharing the traditional Hot Pot meal with my family during our reunion dinner. Hot Pot is a communal meal where a pot of broth simmers on a portable burner in the center of the dining table, surrounded by plates of sliced pork, fish balls, leafy greens, and dipping sauces. Abundance is a running theme in Chinese culture, so it is really important to have an abundance of food and blessing surrounding us. KnowBe4 kindly sent me two bottles of delicious pineapple tarts to celebrate. For those who don't know, pineapples signify luck and fortune, and they are perfect to bring sweet life into the new year. Thank you KnowBe4 and I'm wishing everyone a prosperous year of the Tiger!
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How did you celebrate the Lunar New Year?
Do you have any traditions you would like to share?
On the eve of Chinese New Year, we have a traditional reunion dinner, where family members from all over the world will gather at the time to have dinner and spend time with each other. On the first day of Chinese New Year, we visit our relatives, and adults give out red packets (Ang Bao), to kids and parents as a form of blessing. In Singapore, kids will bring two mandarin oranges with them during their visit to the elderly or whoever they are visiting, and the kids receive the Ang Bao in return.
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