Chinese New Year

Starting with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later where the Chinese community celebrate the Lantern Festival, Chinese New Year symbolizes a reunion of family apart from prosperity, good luck and fortune of one's family.

On the eve of Chinese New Year, red packets or 'Ang-pau' are given to children and bachelors. It's believed that if you put your 'Ang-pau' under your pillow and stay wide awake up to midnight, you will see the God of Wealth and this will bring long life to your parents.

In the first day of Chinese New Year, the Chinese usually visit the father's side of family. The departed ones are remembered with great respect since they were responsible for laying the bases of the family's good fortune and glory. Their presences are acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged on the family banquet table.
This symbolizes family unity and honour of the past and present generation. It's bad luck to wear black and white since this symbolizes death and misfortune. It's also forbidden to sweep or clean the house for the first three days for fear of brushing away the family's luck – so keep in mind to not spill any food or drinks! For the rest of the 15 days, the family will then visit other relatives
especially from the mother's side. Here, the Chinese will feast, talk, play games like Mah-jong and the children will have splendid time playing fire crackers which the Chinese believed the loud bangs it made will scare away evil spirits. Oranges are also given to visitors which symbolize good luck and fortune to them.