The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival is fast approaching. Traditionally celebrated by East and Central Asian countries, this year the festival will run from the 18th to the 24th of February with celebrations peaking on New Year’s Day, 19th February.
For the Chinese, 2015 is known to be the year of the Goat (or sheep). It is said to be a particularly promising year for those born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991 and 2003.
The traditions and cultural practices are wide and varied in the lead-up to the New Year – they start from cleaning the house in preparation of the New Year to putting together the food which can prophetically set the scene for the next 12 months.
For those planning on getting involved here are a few of the Chinese customs associated with this time of the year:
- Wear red! Red is considered bright, lucky and happy and is definitely the primary colour of Chinese New Year Celebrations. Dressing in the colour, whether a scarf or a jumper, will bring you luck in the New Year.
- Don’t wash your hair! Perhaps this is a slightly strange custom, but the Chinese word for hair is a homonym for the Chinese word for “wealth”. You don’t want to be washing away your wealth in the first few days of the New Year.
- Similarly, clean your house before New Year’s Day. Sweeping of dusting should not be done on New Year’s Day for fear that good fortune will be washed away.
- Head for a vantage point in the days following the New Year. Chinese culture suggests that you should ‘climb high and gaze far’ to bring good luck in business, career, study or fortune.
- On the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, every door in the house should be open (even the windows!) to allow the old year to breeze on out.
- Mind yourself during the celebrations – it is thought that appearance and attitude during the New Year set precedence for the rest of the year!
We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest celebrations around the world, and where you should be staying to be near the action:
England:
Every year hundreds of thousands of people descend to London’s West End to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The main festivities take place in Trafalgar Square, Chinatown and around Shaftesbury Avenue.
Highlights of the event include a spectacular parade through the streets of London and performances on a stage in Trafalgar Square on 22 February from 10am until 6pm. The parade moves from Duncannon Street to Shaftesbury Avenue and will include decorated floats, a Chinese lion, dragon boat teams and more. The celebrations will include performances from local artists, and you’ll find traditional Chinese food and craft stalls around the area throughout the day.
Stay nearby at:
- Ham Yard Hotel, rated 9.8 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- Savoy Hotel London, rated 9.7 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- Haymarket Hotel London, rated 9.6 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
Hong Kong is the ultimate destination for parties, and the Spring Festival is by far its biggest. The celebrations run for three days and are renowned for their colour and spectacle – it is the place to be for the Lunar New Year.
A cosmopolitan city, the celebrations highlight the ritual and history of the Chinese culture and add a modern twist. Superstitions run high and colour is an important theme with flowers and ribbons decorating the city and houses.
You’ll find parades and carnivals on New Year’s Day, a giant firework display on the second day of the Spring Festival and over 100,000 people flocking to the Spring Festival Races on the 21st of February. The options for celebration are endless.
Stay nearby at:
- Hotel Icon, rated 9.5 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- InterContinental Hong Kong, rated 9.2 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- The Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, rated 9.2 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
An important celebration in Taiwan, you’ll find that most of the tourist destinations and shops will close their doors for at least a couple of days over the Chinese New Year. While the majority of locals head home to spend time with their family, tourists in the area will find no shortage of festivities to join in on; the most unique of which follows Chinese New Year – the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival in Tainan.
The festival attracts thousands of visitors and is known as the fifth most dangerous in the world. It takes place on the 15th (and last) day of the New Year celebrations with its roots tracing back to the cholera outbreak in the region in the 1870s. The festival aims to call attention to the God of War. For those wanting to be front row for the firework action (near the beehives of fireworks), full protective gear is compulsory. Get ready to duck and weave as thousands of fireworks and rockets’ shoot-out in all directions at various intervals throughout the evening.
Stay nearby at:
- Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Tainan, rated 9.3 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- Sai Kau Kin, rated 9.3 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- Tainan Guantian Country Story Homestay B&B, rated 9.1 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
In 2015, Sydney will celebrate the Year of the Sheep with one of the largest Chinese New Year Festivals outside of China. Visitors will enjoy a month-long program of both free and ticketed events across the city – from special restaurant menus to Dragon Boat racing on Cockle Bay. The Twilight Parade on the 22nd of February is known as the signature event of the celebrations – starting at Sydney Town Hall and ending at the Chinese Gardens. With pre-parade entertainment, building light projections and fireworks, there is plenty of entertainment for everyone. If you miss the parade, the floats will be on display until late in the night at Darling Quarter.
Stay nearby at:
- Meriton Serviced Apartments-Campbell Street, rated 9.2 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- OT Sydney, rated 9.1 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, rated 9.0 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
Chinese New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm in San Francisco, drawing visitors to the city from across the country. The celebration’s kick-off a week prior to New Year with a Flower Fair, where families can buy traditional plants and flowers to decorate their homes. Other events follow including street fairs, fun runs and the Miss Chinatown USA pageant. The celebrations reach their pinnacle with the annual New Year Parade which features more than 100 floats, bands and other participants.
The parade starts at Second and Market Street, running up Kearny Street to finish at Columbus and has been named as one of the top ten in the world.
Stay nearby at:
- Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, rated 8.8 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- W San Francisco, rated 8.4 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
- Hilton San Francisco Financial District, rated 7.8 out of 10 on HotelsCombined
Have we missed any of the key celebrations? Where is your favorite place to celebrate the Chinese New Year?
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Featured image: Chinese festive lantern| GETTYIMAGES ZHENGZAISHURU
