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Magazine
Year of the Horse
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Chinese New Year on February 12 has its own special traditions. One of the best places to celebrate it in is Hong Kong, says SUMITRA SENAPATHY.
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The Hong Kong skyline from Victoria Peak.
THIS time of the year, most resolutions — made on December 31 — have been subtly forgotten and placed in a cupboard marked "maybe next year". However, there's a second chance to start afresh with the celebration of Chinese New Year on February 12. One of the best places in the world to celebrate it in is Hong Kong. What truly sets this City of Life apart from Asia's other Chinese cities during the Lunar Year Celebrations are the spectacular neon decorations installed on most commercial buildings. While retailers throughout the region use decorations for the back-to-back festive seasons of Christmas and Chinese New Year, no other city can match Hong Kong in this aspect. A popular custom this time of the year is to go for an evening stroll beside the harbour to enjoy the vivid display.
About a week before the New Year, everyone is busy — planning the menus, cleaning and decorating the house, and of course buying new clothes, as it's an important Chinese custom to start the year by doing so. With most shops offering discounts of up to 50 per cent, everyone will find a bargain. Flowers, auspicious in Chinese culture, play a very important role as they represent liveliness. Flower markets, with their carnival-like atmosphere, are there at every corner in Hong Kong, and on New Year's Eve some are even open till 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. (The later you go the cheaper are the flowers.). For others, a visit to the Wong Tai Sin Temple to pray for good health and good fortune is a must.
On the first day of the year, family members greet each other with "Kung Hei Fat Choi" and children and unmarried adults get red packets, or lai see, filled with lucky money from their parents or their elders. Then, after a delicious feast, all eyes are on the parade, a spectacular event, with exquisite floats and marvellous performing groups that brighten up the waterfront.
On the second day, after visiting relatives and friends and eating, the focus shifts to the annual fireworks display in Victoria Harbour. Watch it from along the waterfront, take a cruise, or view the action from one of the city's harbour front hotels.
According to Chinese customs, the third day is not suitable to visit relatives and friends, so most people will visit the Che Kung Temple, to pray for good health and prosperity. And for those who feel lucky, there are the races at the Sha Tin Racecourse. Special tours are available. If you like soccer, don't miss the annual soccer tournament at Hong Kong Stadium. Organised by the Hong Kong Football Association for more than 10 years, the finals of this international event will be held in the evening on February 15.
This year, it is the "Year of the Horse", which the Chinese believe is a symbol of intelligence and friendliness. Lighting firecrackers on New Year's eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year. At the stroke of midnight, every door and even windows, have to be opened to allow the old year out. On the day itself, an ancient custom called "Hong Bao", meaning Red Packet, takes place, which involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Then families go from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbours to greet each other. Like the Western saying, "let bygones be bygones", on Chinese New Year, grudges are cast aside. The Festival of Lanterns marks the end of the new year, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.
A carnival-like atmosphere in every corner of Hong Kong.
If a business establishment has had a particularly good year, there will also be a raffle during the feast for employees. But there are pitfalls as well. The Weiya feast is traditionally a chance for owners to hint at the status of employees, and there is some tactful understanding. For example, if there is a chicken dish and the head is pointing towards you, it means "Thank you for working here, but, sorry, you are fired!"
Dinner on New Year's Eve is a time for all members of the family, even those who live far away, to gather together. The dinner is frequently called "wei lu" or "surrounding the fire stove". This is because there was traditionally a fire stove under the table to provide a very warm and cozy atmosphere in which the whole family could enjoy eating and chatting. The meal itself consists of 10 to 12 courses that are not only delicate and tasty, but also rife with symbolic meaning. There are dishes to symbolise health, wealth and good fortune. For instance, a fish symbolises surplus because the word for fish sounds the same as the word for surplus in Chinese. Dishes made with turnips indicate good fortune because the name for turnips, cai-tou, also means "good luck" in some dialects. There are other (symbolic) foods, one of the most significant among them being Chinese dim sums (dumplings) — they look like ancient Chinese gold and silver ingots that symbolise wealth. The chef typically hides a coin in a dumpling while cooking. Whoever gets the coin is supposed to become the luckiest and most successful person in the year to come, that is, of course, if they don't choke on it!
The next day, firecrackers can be heard everywhere and the sky is a riot of colour. Fables tell of a monster that always comes out to eat people during the first few days of the New Year. Chinese people traditionally lit fireworks and wore red clothing to scare away the monster. Now these have become the signs for an auspicious and happy new year!
After the important rituals, people usually go out to greet their friends and relatives. The streets are filled with cheerful people watching the dragon and lion dancers. When the dancers stop in front of a residence or business it brings good fortune to the occupants. In return they usually present the dancers with some lucky money in red envelopes.
As we have seen, the Chinese utilise lucky words and signs to express their desire for good fortune. For fear their desires won't come true there are also some taboos to be observed. One is that words that sound like unlucky or undesirable events may not be used during the festival; for example, saying anything about death, losing money or becoming poor.
In most Chinese dialects, the pronunciation of the word "four" has the same sound as the word "to die". Thus four is considered an unlucky number. People avoid saying the word "four" or using things in fours. Arguments, scolding children, crying, and breaking things are also taboo. Another interesting taboo is that Chinese people do not take out the garbage during the first three days of the New Year. Throwing away trash during this time is symbolically interpreted as throwing away money.
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Visiting Hong Kong
Use the mass transit system. Not only is it state-of-the-art. It also adds to the ``getting there is half the fun'' theory.
Shop! That is what this city is all about. Go into every shopping centre you see because there are deals to be found everywhere. Do not bypass the night street shops because that's an experience in itself.
The Chinese New Year is a time for renewal and reunion .... the parade and fiesta.
Take the tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. The views are absolutely breathtaking at night.
Eat! Do not be afraid to eat at the side walk restaurants. They might look dirty (because they are), but they are great! Don't ask for sweet and sour chicken because chances are they will not have that.
Look both ways before crossing the street. Traffic patterns are different in Hong Kong, so be careful. Best time to go weatherwise, would be during the Chinese New Year and immediately after.
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