Gung Hey Fat Choy!

The first thing to do on the morning of New Year’s Day is to set off firecrackers to drive away the evil monster Nian. Afterward, the Chinese will have the first meal of the year, which is as important as the reunion dinner for most Chinese people.



(This year unfortunately, Beijing has banned major firework displays due to the hazardous smog conditions they have caused in the past.)



Most people choose to eat dumplings, hoping to have good fortune in the New Year, because dumpling’s shape is similar to gold ingots, which was the currency used in ancient times. People in South China prefer to eat rice cakes, because rice cakes are a symbol of wealth.



Young people will visit elders, and in return, elders will give them red envelopes with money inside for good luck. New Year's Day is the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, known as Zhengyuè. Family members visit each other and send best wishes for the new year. Younger people visit the homes of elder family members, and seniors give lucky money stuffed in red envelopes to children as new year gift. Nowadays, people tend to greet each other via phones.



The first day of the Lunar New Year is sometimes known as the 'Birthday of Chicken'.



It’s also important to avoid killing animals on this day as that’s believed to bring bad luck. Killing a chicken, in particular, is believed to kill one’s luck since chicken is a homophone for luck in Mandarin (ji) and Cantonese (gai), so it’s best to avoid freshly slaughtered chicken on the first day.



Demand Euphoria!