Guò nián hǎo! Celebrating Lunar New Year at Home

Have a safe and prosperous Year of the Ox!

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Image Credit: Unsplash/Macau Photo Agency

The Lunar New Year is here and it’s our first time to celebrate with safety precautions in place. We may have to change and replace certain traditions, but it’s the spirit of a new beginning that matters. Here are the different ways of celebrating the Year of the Ox, which both the Chinoys and Pinoys can take part in this season.

Decorate for happiness and prosperity

Decorations welcome the good luck, happiness, and prosperity into your family and home. Putting up a Fu banner, red lanterns, or knots has always been the tradition, but decorating with plants, flowers, zodiac items, and red cloth can bring in the good too. Save up and have a fun family time when you look around the internet and choose to DIY.

Give red envelopes

The famous Ang Pao that everyone is eager to receive! Whether you’re a giver or a receiver, this tradition brings in prosperity for both. The elders give them to the young (and unmarried) ones for a good fortune ahead, and the older adults hand them to the parents as a sign of respect. With everyone at home, certain mobile banking apps also allow you to send Ang Paos from a distance.

Make traditional food

Nothing else gathers the family as quickly as possible but food. Call everyone to the table and prepare food that brings in good spirits. Prepare a whole steamed fish to welcome abundance, rice dumplings to “stick together”, pork dumplings to manifest wealth, and noodles to prolong your lives.

Have dinner together

And of course, welcome the new year together! Things may be different this year, but the festive spirit remains the same anywhere in the world. It’s one of the seasons where everyone wishes each other well. Enjoy a reunion over video calls and watch virtual celebrations. The new year can be truly prosperous when all of us — at home — stay safe and healthy.

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