Chinese New Year Nearer - Decorations

 

Chinese New Year decorations in Singapore with lanterns. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The decorations are going up all over the world, especially in Singapore in the condominiums. 

As this picture shows, January 6th 2021. So early. 

"Yes, because Chinese New Year is early this year!" comments my swimming companion, 'Veronica'. 

Not that early, February 1st, which is less than a month away.

Decorations are in outdoor areas which are protected by projections, with artificial flower displays in large vases.

Chinese Writing Symbols

 The hanging mottos have tassels in a reddish orange colour. Some of the symbols are read on a gold background. Others are gold on a red background. 

If you have trouble recognizing the symbol, that might be because the symbols are hung upside down. The story goes that good luck symbols were hung outside houses to ward off plague. First the good news. The plague ended. Then the bad news. The emperor rode out to admire the symbols. Then he saw that one illiterate family had hung their symbol upside down - he was incensed! 

He was about to condemn them to death, when the quick-thinking and kind empress pointed out that one of the symbols has a second meaning. It also means upside down. 

So, the family was saved. They had 'double happiness' (a Chinese wish), spared the plague and spared the anger of the emperor. To commemorate this good luck, the symbols are now hung upside down. 

 Overhead are red lanterns with swirling golden and red hanging items attached and blowing in the wind.

The public malls have more decorations, multi-storey outside the malls. Multi-storey indoors in the atriums.

At night the strings, scallops and little lights hanging down like stalactites, flash on and off, like fairyland.

About the Author

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

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Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.

Quick Quotations

Who Said What When