During the Chinese New Year period, Hong Kongers traditionally flock to temples to pray for a good year ahead.  However, the superstitious also take part in rituals that they believe foretell the future, or at least the year ahead.

It was no different on the second day into the Year of the Tiger.  Here in Hong Kong is has become customary for a a lawmaker (member of the territory’s legislature) to visit a popular temple to take part in a ritual that will predict the next year for Hong Kong.  The ritual takes place on the second day of Chinese New Year at a suburban temple, and is eagerly awaited by residents and media alike.

The outcome of the ritual, however, does not always bode well for “Asia’s World City” and regional financial hub.  SAPA reports that in 2003, home affairs minister Patrick Ho picked number 83, an unlucky number according to Chinese custom.

His selection was followed by 12 months of crisis in which the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus killed several hundred people and ruined the economy, while unprecedented political protests left the government in turmoil.

This year it was the turn of Hong Kong councillor Lau Wong Fat. 

Hong Kong lawmaker Lau Wong Fat shaking the tin of fortune sticks (Pic: news.yahoo.com/AFP)

And it was good news for all in Hong Kong.  In a closely watched ritual, lawmaker Lau Wong-fat shook a bundle of numbered bamboo fortune sticks until one fell to the ground, number 53, which was later interpreted by a stick-reader to be the harbinger of better times.

The draw was good news for Lau whose unlucky pick of 27 in 2009 – the Year of the Ox – predicted doom and gloom for the city of seven million as it was wracked by the global financial crisis.

All that we can add to that is: Sjoe!  That was close.

In Chinese culture, everything associated with the Chinese New Year’s Day should represent good fortune. To single people good fortune may mean love and romance. Good fortune may mean good grades to students, children for families, jobs for the unemployed and health for the sick. 

For the Chinese Springbok rugby supporter, good fortune means… er…. mmmmm…. let me think……

OK we don’t need good fortune, we already have all the trophies! (Our sponsors’ logos aren’t gold for nothing!)

In Hong Kong, as far as Bok Supporters go, you don’t get bigger than Eugene Wong! (Pic: Mike Jansen) 

But once again, I digress…

For this reason, Chinese people have many traditions and symbols to attracts good fortune.

One of these are candies (sweets) presented in circular candy trays. The symbolism associated with this are:

Candies: gold or orange colour for wealth & happiness, circular for togetherness

Tray: red colour for happiness, circular for togetherness

(My son would like to add that it has to be DEEP as well, to hold lots of candies!)

My kids enjoy the Chinese New Year holidays, not only for the break from school, but also for the fact that shopping malls, offices, etc. would have these circular candy trays filled with sweets of all shapes and sizes! The lobby of our apartment building has one such tray and they’ve been frequent visitors.

Yesterday my son was particularly excited because he found a “South African” chocolate in it. On closer inspection we noticed that the circular chocolates (he had lots!) were in fact meant to represent South African Kruger Rands!  Of course it all make sense: it’s sweet (chocolate), circular (togetherness) and has a gold colour (wealth). 

(My boy didn’t appreciate the on-site history lesson he got.  His father grew up with Apartheid education so I know my Paul Kruger history.  I also live in Hong Kong so I know a wee bit about the economics of buying and selling gold.  Still he didn’t like being sat down for a lesson during the holidays nogal!)

It also makes more sense for the fact that it is ‘from’ South Africa.   As I told you in a previous post, one of the first things Chinese people think of when I tell them where I’m from is: GOLD! 

Hello Oom Paul! Paul Kruger on the “Kruger Rand” (Pic:Mike Jansen)

Lai see

Another Chinese New Year tradition is the giving of monetary gifts inside lai see or red envelopes. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jou has a tradition of handing out lai see to his supporters over the New Year holidays. However, instead of giving real money, he fills the envelopes with chocolate ‘gold coins’ !

Red envelopes are often decorated in gold print, this one has Tigers printed as well (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Hong Kong tonight ushered in the Year of the Tiger in true Chinese style: with a HK$3 million spectacular fireworks display.  While the lighting of fireworks remain illegal in Hong Kong, the annual New Year’s Day fireworks display is a major draw-card on the tourist calendar.  

The 20-minute extravaganza was lauched from 3 barges docked 200 meters apart in Victoria Harbour opposite the Avenue of the Stars.

Some of the features of this year’s display included images of tigers as well as gold ingots that signifies the Year of the Tiger and prosperity.

Howzit-HongKong had it’s trusty point-and-click handy and we shot the following clip:

Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year is the most important Festival on the traditional Chinese calendar.  It is part of the Spring Festival that starts on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar and ends of the 15th day that is called Lantern Festival.

This year Hong Kong celebrates the start of the Year of the Tiger that coincides with the (western) Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2010.

Here are some of the traditional decorations that can be seen around Hong Kong:

Lucky bamboo

Lucky bamboo is known as ‘Kai Yun Zhu’  in Chinese, which means ‘bamboo that invites good fortune’.

Lucky Bamboo represents the natural 5 elements of water, earth, wood, metal and fire to balance the flow of energy or ‘chi’ in the house.

A red ribbon is tied around the stalks to represent the fire element. The number of bamboo stalks and layers has its own symbolic meaning:

2 for Love & Marriage

3 for Happiness

5 for Perfection

6 for Luck

8 for Wealth and Abundance

9 for Everlasting Good Fortune and Happiness

Tangerines & oranges

Tangerines and oranges are commonly displayed in homes and shops. Tangerines symbolises ‘good tidings’ as it sounds like ‘good luck’ in Chinese. Oranges symbolises wealth as it sounds like ‘gold’ in Cantonese.

Peach blossoms

Peach blossoms symbolise ‘courage and hope’. The blossoms burst forth at the end of winter season on a seemingly lifeless branch.

Here are some more pictures I took around Hung Hom Bay:

When asked about what they like about living in China (we’ve also lived in Taiwan before) my kids sometimes respond: “We get to celebrate TWO New Years!” What they don’t say is that they get TWO New Year’s holidays off from school!

Living in Hong Kong, we foreigners indeed have the benefit of two New Year holidays.  The Western New Year is welcomed with great fanfare including an expensive fireworks display, while the Lunar New Year is celebrated along age-old Chinese traditions that also includes fireworks, New Year’s Parades and displays.  Taiwan does not celebrate the (Western) New Year, while Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, sees the island enjoying a 7-day break.  The Mainland normally also have a holiday of about 7 days over the Lunar New Year.

This year, Lunar New Year falls on the same day as (the Western) Valentine’s Day… February 14, 2010.

Stay close to Howzit-HongKong.com for more features on the Chinese Lunar New Year.  In the meantime, if you’re not familiar with the New Year’s greeting in Cantonese, start learning the follow phrase:

San nin faai lok!

(Generally: Happy New Year! More specifically: Congratulations and be prosperous!)