To all my Flickr Friends: I'm sorry if I've not visited your photostream lately. I'm too busy working, too much to do, with too little spare time and Chinese New Year is nearly here.
So let me wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year! May the Year of The Ox brings you an abundance of Happiness, Wealth and Good Health!
As the Chinese calendar is different from the western (Gregorian) calendar, this year Chinese New Year falls on the 26th Jan 2009, Monday. It's the year of the Earth Ox. Usually, the celebration to welcome in the Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days. Time had changed. In this modern times, working people usually only get a few days off.
Days before the arrival of the new year, almost all Chinese families will do spring cleaning of their house. Those whom are still into traditional religion, will burn offerings and offerings of food/drinks to their house deities in the hope that those deities will give good appraisal of the members in the house to Heaven above. xD
On the eve of Lunar New Year, most Chinese families will held a reunion dinner at the home of their family's most senior or oldest member. After which, at midnight, huge numbers of firecrackers will be let off to welcome in the new year and it will continue into the wee hours of the morning. But alas, firecrackers were banned here long ago... quite welcoming for none Chinese who are trying to get some sleep! LOL! =P
Traditionally, children will be encourage to stay up late on this particular day, based on an age-old belief that the longer the young ones are awake on the eve of the new year, their parents or grandparents will have a longer life. I dunno how true is that, but in the past, as a hyperactive kid, I'm happy to be allowed to play past my bedtime! LOL! =P
Nowadays, without firecrackers on the eve of Chinese New Year, people either went to watch the public fireworks display, float parade or roaming Chinatown in hope of a good bargain as stalls will try to get rid of their goods at ridiculous low price on the last day. There will also be a lantern light-up at the river which I can't decide to go or not coz it will be very very crowded! xD
Traditionally, fashion colors for the celebration of Chinese New Year are red and gold/yellow. Erm... that will crash with my fashion and I forgotten to buy a bright red or gold hotpants! LOL! Anyway, frankly speaking, not much modern Chinese follow that anymore. =P
Everyday within the celebration of Lunar New Year, Chinese will greet each other 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' in Mandarin or "Kung Hei Fatt Choi' in Cantonese or 'Kong Hee Fatt Chai' in Hokkien. It mean 'Wishing you a prosperous new year!'
And it's Hong Pao time for children! Hong Pao, known as Red Package, are boon to children! From the first day of Chinese New Year, children will rush to their elders with cries of 'Gong Xi Fa Cai' in order to get auspicious Red Packages. Giving Hong Pao are supposedly to give blessings or luck and it's consider very rude to open instantly any Hong Pao given to you or announce the amount within. It's not the red packaging that's interesting. It's what lays within. A small amount of money is suppose to be inside the little red envelope. Well... 'small' in this case is subjective. It depend on how rich or generous the family is. I'd seen within certain Hong Pao, laid thousands of dollars! xD
Traditionally, Hong Pao are given by any elders of a family to every of their younger relatives. However, that applies only to the married ones. If you remain unmarried, no matter how old you are, there's no obligation to give Hong Pao. But in many cases, when an adult gets too old, they tend to hand out Red Packages to their nieces and nephews to avoid embarrassment. =P
The elder of any family are also suppose to give Hong Pao to any visiting children regardless of relatives or friends and in the mindset of many Chinese, 'children' are anyone who is unmarried regardless of age. So, I'm still receiving Hong Pao! LOL! xD
Tags: Lunar New Year 2009 Chinese Gong Xi Fa Cai Year of The Ox 恭喜發財 Chinatown festival streets of Chinatown, Singapore Chinese Lunar new year in Chinatown, Singapore
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Chinatown - 17th Jan 2009
Details in my blog: ihengbok.blogspot.com/2009/01/chinese-new-year-2009.html
Tags: Lunar New Year 2009 Chinese Gong Xi Fa Cai Year of The Ox 恭喜發財 Chinatown festival streets of Chinatown, Singapore Chinese Lunar new year in Chinatown, Singapore
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It's the Year of The Ox! @Chinatown.
Details in my blog: ihengbok.blogspot.com/2009/01/chinese-new-year-2009.html
In Explore on 25th Jan 2009.
Tags: Lunar New Year 2009 Chinese Gong Xi Fa Cai Year of The Ox 恭喜發財 Chinatown festival streets of Chinatown, Singapore Chinese Lunar new year in Chinatown, Singapore Flickr Explore Flickr Interestingness Nikita Hengbok's photos in Flickr Explore pics in Flickr Explore photos in Flickr Explore
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Display of a giant lion dance costume titled 'Lion King'. Lion dance performances are always associated with Chinese New Year or any auspicious Chinese festivals or occasion. It's based on an ancient Chinese belief that these dances bringing good luck/fortune & frighten away evil spirits or bad luck.
Taken at The Central - 17th Jan 2009
Details in my blog: ihengbok.blogspot.com/2009/01/chinese-new-year-2009.html
Tags: Lunar New Year 2009 Chinese Gong Xi Fa Cai Year of The Ox 恭喜發財 Chinatown festival streets of Chinatown, Singapore Chinese Lunar new year in Chinatown, Singapore
© All Rights Reserved
Chinatown - 17th Jan 2009
Details in my blog: ihengbok.blogspot.com/2009/01/chinese-new-year-2009.html
Tags: Lunar New Year 2009 Chinese Gong Xi Fa Cai Year of The Ox 恭喜發財 Chinatown festival streets of Chinatown, Singapore Chinese Lunar new year in Chinatown, Singapore
© All Rights Reserved