Spring Festival in Hong Kong

Updated: 2014-01-07 14:25:28

There are some similarities between residents in mainland China and Hong Kong in their celebrations of Spring Festival. For instance, enjoying family reunion, eating symbolic foods, decorating houses with New Year scrolls, wearing bright colour, especially red clothes, etc.

In recent years, less and less Hong Kong residents paste Spring Couplets or New Year paintings in their houses. More people use favonian ornaments instead, which have the same implied meanings of Spring Couplets and New Year paintings.

Hong Kong is called “Food Paradise”. There are lots of customs related to foods in Spring Festival. Supper of Chinese New Year’s Eve is the most important meal of one year. No matter how far they are, Chinese try to go back home and enjoy the supper with their family members. The common foods for the supper include dumpling (jiao zi), Niaogao, fish, etc. One important activity after supper is visiting the flower market. There are so many flower markets in Hong Kong, among which the biggest and busiest flower market is in Victoria Park.

In some villages or rural areas, there are dragon lantern dances and lion dances. Though in downtown areas, you have little chance to enjoy these performances, from 1982, on the second day of each Spring Festival, you can enjoy the grand fireworks show in Victoria harbor.

The happiest people should be kids who receive lucky money, which is often wrapped in red envelop. Lucky money is often called “li shi” in Chinese. According to a legend, people put some copper cashes wrapped in red paper under their kids’ pillows to drive away a monster that often harasses kids. Now Kids often use their lucky money to buy books, toys and other items they like. In the festive atmosphere, kids kowtow to their elders to show their respect and blessing, while the elders grant lucky money to the kids to show their care and love.

Residents in Hong Kong integrate Chinese traditional customs and modern fashionable celebrations: Lunar New Year flower markets, New Year foods, shopping paradise, Disneyland, Wetland Park, etc. There is so much for you to enjoy and see.