Be prepared - For Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Chinese communities in Asia, and Chinatowns in the UK, USA and Europe.  2024 is the year of the Dragon.

If you are thinking of travelling early in the new year, note that flights into and out of Asia and worldwide could be booked up during Chinese New Year, which is for a week from Fab 10th, but flights will be busy and higher priced a week before and a week after.

 Features of Chinese New Year

The year of  -12 animals, which symbolize different qualities to those in the west.

Lion dance.

Colourful and noisy. Lion dance societies practise all year. You pay them to perform at a shopping centre, mall, hotel, city or country club, restaurant. 

They throw out vegetables and chocolates and candies and small gifts for children and adults.

The host family or VIP children should sit in the front row of spectators to catch the gifts. If the host receives too many thrown free gifts, he or she can then distribute the duplicates to those who missed out or to smaller or handicapped children or babes in arms.

Mandarin Oranges

You give two. To visitors to shops.

Red Packets

Containing money. Lucky number is 8. (Unlucky number is four which rhymes with death.)  Married people give the red packets to children and the unmarried.

Family get togethers, reunions of families who travel worldwide.

Singapore - Lo Hei

Vegetables and fish piled in the centre of a round plate. Maybe served in the middle of a circular table, on a lazy Susan to give access to all diners. The central food, is decorated, encircled, with smaller circular piles of vegetables whose colours represent different qualities. 

Supermarket Sets

You can buy sets in the supermarkets. The different sizes are for different numbers of diners, such as two person, four, eight, ten, twenty. Without fish is less expensive. You add your own fish of choice in the middle, such as fresh salmon or smoked salmon. Different prices reflect whether a disposable or better platter or bowl is provided in the set. Another cost factor is for one or several sets of chopsticks.   

Look for the greatest variety at the start of the season. You might find prices go up or down. 

Photo Opportunities

Lion dancers perform in pubic places. ou can ask to be photographed with them.

Feb 10 2024. Year of the Dragon.

Booking flights in February? Prices will go up and seats will be booked.

Checklist

1 Book flights

2 Book Hotels

3 Book restaurant for reunion dinner

4 Collect red packets for gifts of money to unmarried relatives and get new bank notes to put in the red packets.

5 In Asia instead of a Christmas bonus or gift staff expect a Chinese New Year gift of money to put towards the family festivities.

6 Stock up with mandarin oranges to give as gifts, exchanging pairs of oranges with people entering a shop or house on New Year's day

7 Prepare by baking or buying seasonal fruit tarts with lucky symbols such as pineapple tarts.

8 Plan outings to Chinatowns to see decorations and night markets.