5 Things You Might Not Know About Chinese New Year

With Chinese New Year around the corner, many people are starting their CNY practices. These include preparing red packets, setting aside red packets, ordering CNY food and more.

When it comes to this festive season, you’re probably familiar with certain taboos. No sweeping on the first day, no washing hair, setting off firecrackers and more. Here, we have five extra tidbits that you might not know about Chinese New Year – check them out below!

CNY = Spring Festival

Chinese New Year is also called the Spring Festival. This is a direct translation of the term chunjie (春节), and it’s used frequently in China. 

It’s used to describe the end of winter, where the coldest days of the year turn into warm, wet spring. People would welcome the new spring, along with what it brings. They prepare for the year’s harvests, and celebrate new beginnings and fresh starts. 

Around these parts, Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year, as the Spring Festival follows the lunar calendar. But of course, you can never go wrong with calling it Chinese New Year!

A Day of Praying…….and Monster Fighting

Chinese New Year was originally a day for people to pray to the gods and their ancestors for a good harvest season. To them back then, the harvest meant everything, and a good harvest would ensure that they would have food for the cold months.

As for the monster fighting, well – according to an ancient legend, a monster named Nian would emerge every New Year’s Eve. Most people would cower in their homes as he roamed, until one day, a brave boy set off firecrackers to fight him off. People would then set off firecrackers to scare Nian every year, until it became common practice to do so. Today, firecrackers are used to ward off bad luck and welcome the new year.

It’s the Loooooooooongest Chinese Holiday

As most of us know by now, Chinese New Year spans 15 days – 16 if you count New Year’s Eve! However the holiday season technically starts in lunar December, making it almost 40 days of praying, preparation and celebration!

A large majority of stores are closed on Chinese New Year, so people tend to stock up on groceries and supplies even in the month before. For our online shoppers, platforms like Taobao are practically on holiday for the entire month. So start shopping for your new Chinese New Year clothes at least a month before!

The Largest Migration

Reunion happens worldwide for Chinese New Year, even more so now that it’s common for children to go overseas to study or work. Even back in the day, elderly parents stayed in rural villages while their children worked in the big cities. The migration back home is called chunyun (春运), or Spring Migration.

Fun fact, back in 2015, there were at least a thousand tickets being sold every second before Chinese New Year. Even today, there’s always a mad rush for flight tickets to fly home for reunion, even more so after post-covid times like these. So prepare and plan ahead if you need to fly home for Chinese New Year!

If you’re planning on reuniting with your family this upcoming Chinese New Year, bring along a CNY gift set as a gesture of goodwill! Check out our stunning Auspicious Health bundle that comes with Yu Xiang Yan Abalone Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, Kinohimitsu Bird’s Nest Longang & Wolfberry,XinLang Brown Sugar Ginger Tea and more. Get it delivered to your doorstep in a gorgeous balloon arrangement.

Partner for Hire

We’ve all had nosy relatives asking us for every single aspect of our lives during festive seasons. 

If you’re single, you get “Aiya, still single ah? No one interested in you ah?”

If you have a partner, you get “Aiya, when are you going to get married?!”

If you’re already married, you get “Aiya, still no children? Your parents not going to have grandchildren ah?”

If you already have kids, you get “Aiya, when’s the next one? The more children you have, the better!”

It’s especially worse in China, due to the age-old, cultural tradition of having children and passing down the family name. So some desperate singles resort to hiring fake partners – yes, just like in the dramas. 

Even in recent years, some netizens have taken to sharing their ‘partner resumes’ on the Internet, offering themselves to desperate singles, most often in a humorous manner. However for the other questions regarding your salary, kids or career…. Good luck.

Purchase Your CNY Hamper with FlowernBalloon SG!

Looking for the perfect CNY gifts in 2023 to celebrate Chinese New Year in Singapore? We’re here to help make it an easy experience with our exquisite Chinese New Year hampers. They make the perfect gift for visiting family and friends.

Shop our CNY hampers at FlowernBalloon today! We offer free Chinese New Year Hamper delivery in Singapore for orders made before 3PM.