CNY Celebrations Singapore
A Visitor's Guide to Celebrating Chinese New Year
by Business Listings EditorPhoto credit: canstockphoto
As Chinese New Year (CNY) draws near, changes abound; for example, snacks which weren’t there before magically appear in every supermarket, and China Town becomes even more crowded than usual. To those familiar with this celebration, these sights are simply a reminder to start preparing for the occasion (if they haven’t already begun).
However, if you haven’t heard of Chinese New Year or aren’t well-acquainted with this yearly event, these experiences might be novel and leave you scratching your head. Here’s a rundown of what this occasion is about and what you can expect from it so you won’t be caught off guard.
Celebrating CNY in Singapore as a visitor
Chinese New Year (CNY) is a very important event in China, Singapore, the Philippines, and many other countries in Asia. Unlike the rest of the world which celebrates the New Year on the 1st of January, CNY is a 15-day celebration spanning from the last week of January to mid-February. This holiday does not have fixed dates every year because the holiday follows the lunar calendar.
In Singapore, the first and second days of CNY are public holidays, and people take this time to go all out to celebrate their traditions with friends and family. To most Singaporeans, this is one of the best holidays around since everyone gets two days off from work to travel and hang out with friends and family while celebrating cultural events and festivities.
For visitors or newcomers to Singapore during this period, it is important to know the city’s schedule, especially the business hours. Plan your activities wisely as many stores tend to close earlier (or for entire days) during the CNY period. For example, do your grocery shopping early because majority of the supermarkets and grocery stores will be closed.
Shopping for gifts and all your home and travel necessities by mid-January is another way to survive this season. Also, main roads are constantly bombarded with various activities and events to commemorate this season; if you are looking to join or avoid crowds, find out where the street celebrations will be to enhance your CNY experience or avoid frustration.
What to do and expect
The few days leading up to CNY will be some of the most exciting days – full of frenzied preparation and palpable excitement in the air. You will notice that CNY decorations and the gods of fortune will slowly replace the Christmas and New Year decorations.
Here are some tips on what to do and expect:
- Taste as many sweet-smelling traditional snacks that people offer you. Refusing their offer will be perceived as being rude.
- Dress in floral designs that come in bright colours. Avoid black and dark colours during this season at all costs because people associate it with funerals and might take offence.
- Always carry two mandarin oranges wherever you are invited; whenever you give them out, you will receive a different pair in return. This exercise is a representation of wealth and a wish of good fortune, an exercise that works even better when you accompany the exchange with season's greetings in the Chinese language.
- Do not sweep the floor during this season. This is associated with sweeping away good luck. In addition, using a knife of scissors during this season is associated with cutting away good fortune.
- Make sure to clear all your debts by this time as well.
What to do during "Yu Sheng"
The literal translation of the word "Yu Sheng" is 'raw fish'. However, Yu Sheng sounds so much like YúshÄ“ng, which when translated to English means an increase in prosperity, abundance and vigour.
Yu Sheng is basically a sumptuous meal consisting of raw fish, plum sauce, shredded vegetables and assorted toppings. People wish each other good fortune and health every time an ingredient is added to their plates, and afterwards, they toss each of the shredded ingredients in the air using chopsticks.
It is believed that that the higher someone tosses the ingredients, the greater the fortunes one will get.
The tip to rule all tips
Be open-minded and adventurous-- allow yourself to experience the festivities as much as possible and you'll surely have a blast!
Want to find out more about Chinese New Year? Check out our Chinese New Year consumer guide.