 Chinese
New Year is the most important festival/holiday to the Chinese people as Christmas
is to people in most western countries. It falls either in January or February
in the western calendar, depending on the lunar calendar.
In Hong Kong there is
a typical 3-day public holiday. Some businesses and factories stay closed even
longer. (Left:
a sign posted by a store saying they are closed till the seventh day of Chinese
New Year) It is the favorite time of year for children
since not only do they get a week or two off from school, they also receive "red
packets" containing cash from their parents and married adult relatives and
friends. In addition it is a custom for families to wear new clothes - which are
usually bought in the month preceding it. Hence for shops here they get a Christmas
rush, and an even bigger Chinese New Year rush.  The
traditional colors for Chinese New Year are red and gold, or any bright and cheerful
colors. If you are visiting Chinese friends, especially those who are more traditional,
be sure not to wear all white. It is the color for mourning! (Right:
the doors of a shopping in Cyberport was decorated with fake red firecrackers
and large gold pieces and coins during Chinese New Year)
According
to traditions, members of a family will go and pay respects to their "elders"
on the first day of the Chinese New Year and wish them good health, good fortune,
etc., etc. The "elders" include not only the older members but also
anyone who is more senior in the family tree. Such kind of visitation also overflow
into the subsequent days since they sometimes cannot quite make it or complete
the rounds. "Kung hei fat choi" is the most typical
saying here in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year. It means something like "wish
you some fast wealth".  Decorating
one's home with flowers is another tradition. Peach tree, potted small mandarin
orange tree, and cut flowers are often seen. (Left:
cut flowers in a home during Chinese New Year)
If
you are visiting Hong Kong as a tourist, the first three days of Chinese New Year
may not be a good time since so many stores and restaurants are closed. However,
the trend is for businesses to open earlier and some chain stores even stay open throughout.
If you don't plan on shopping a whole lot and would love to see some festivities,
there usually is a new year parade (evening on Chinese New Year's day) and fireworks
over the Victoria Harbor (second evening of Chinese New Year). But then because
of these, there is a "gotcha": if your hotel is in the Tsim
Sha Tsui district, you may not be able to get close to it in a vehicle because
some streets are closed to motorized vehicles and there are thousands of people congregating to watch
the show. But then if you have a harbor view room, you can have a fireworks party of your own right in your room. Public transportation will run as usual during Chinese
New Year. In fact on Chinese New Year's eve, the MTR
(subway trains) typically runs non-stop overnight to accommodate the crowds flocking
to the annual Chinese New Year flower market, the biggest one of such is held
in Victoria Park
in Causeway Bay. Dates of Chinese New Year: - year 2008: Feb 7. (Fireworks display over Victoria Harbor on the evening of Feb 8.)
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