CIMB private banking economist Song Seng Wun said Chinese New Year always brings a “short-term lift for consumption for Chinese communities around the world from Beijing, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, to Singapore”.
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2018 marks the year of the dog in the Chinese lunar calendar.
Locally, Santa Monica Place will host a Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, Feb 17 from 2 – 6 p.m. The Dog is the eleventh of the zodiac animals. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are both fire dogs, as is current president Donald Trump. However, they are also known to be sensitive, stubborn, and emotional.
Among the many beliefs and rituals surrounding Chinese New Year, it is also a time to honor family and deities.
– Typically, on the first day of the festival, people would pay a visit to their elderly and respected by offering good wishes, whereas the elderly and senior would give gift money in red envelopes, known as hónɡ bāo. This year it begins on Friday February 16 and celebrations last for two weeks. “What makes the event so special is that it brings Chinese and non-Chinese people together on a grand scale to showcase their talents and renew friendships”.
Traditional Chinese entertainment comes to the streets of the town with the “awakening” of a lion on Tuesday, February 20.
A donor seen holding a red envelope in Semarang City, Indonesia on January 31 2016.
Typically they would have had firecrackers on New Year’s, but with the firework ban in place that won’t happen. It is believed that if you start the New Year in the bad books, you will finish it the same way. In fact, Spring Festival is the lifeblood of Chinese culture which has the potential to meet the demands of the times. “During the most important festival in China, all we need to do is stay with the parents and relatives at home, to enjoy a family reunion”. The festival is also one of the most profitable periods of the year for local businesses. In the Chinese language, the word for fish (yu) has the same sound as “surplus” or “extra”. Spring rolls also symbolize prosperity as they are fancifully thought to look like little gold bars.
BTS is poised to have a big year following the success of its most recent EP, Love Yourself: Her, in 2017. Dumpling (jiǎo zi) is a must, particularly in northern China. When eating or preparing the noodle dish, the noodles should never be cut for fear that it may shorten one’s life. Lastly, nian gao (sticky rice cake), which has the same pronunciation as high/tall are served to wish the coming year to be more successful.
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Mandarin oranges and tangerines can be seen on offer at market stalls all over China.
