Hong Kong New Year customs

Hong Kong Victoria Port

On New Year's Eve, every household gets busy for the New Year: cleaning houses, removing the old and making new ones, purchasing New Year's goods, etc. On the 30th night of New Year's Eve), it is a day for family reunion, and every household eats reunion dinner together. The dishes of the reunion meal are usually very rich, including chicken, duck and fish, fresh meat, meat and vegetables. Moreover, most of the dishes have the meaning of auspicious. After eating the New Year, people usually go to the New Year market to visit the flower market and buy some New Year flowers to go home, which adds a lot of New Year atmosphere. In addition, many parents will send New Year's money to their children to encourage them to behave well, study and work hard.

On the first day of the New Year, people began to officially celebrate the New Year. They began to put up Spring Festival couplets, New Year paintings, dragon dances, lion dances, etc., and also visited relatives and friends to pay New Year greetings. In addition, there are many New Year foods, such as rice cakes, fried golden oil horns, fried piles, scattered eggs, etc.

There are many taboos and habits to celebrate the New Year:

First Day: Chicken Day-In the old days, chickens were posted on New Year's Day to pray for evil spirits (because chickens sound like ji);

Second day: Dog Day-Go out to pay New Year greetings or worship ancestors;

Third day: Sheep Day-"Red Mouth", which is easy to produce quarrels and is not suitable for New Year greetings; Tian's birthday is a sacrifice to Tian;

Day 4: Pig Day-Sacrifice to the God of Wealth. The boss wants to "fire" someone, so he does not invite him to worship God;

The fifth day of the lunar calendar: Ox Ri-breaking the fifth day can break many taboos. On the birthday of the God of Wealth, there is the custom of "receiving the God of Wealth";

Sixth Day: Horse Day-the day of "Sending God", the paper horses of the God of Wealth sent on New Year's Eve were burned, and the shop began to resume business;

Seventh Day: People's Day-People's birthday. It is also the custom of having meals, eating and drinking, setting off fireworks, and setting off fireworks. It is the "birthday of fire".

Eighth Day: Valley Day-The stars come to the lower bound, so sacrifices are made to the stars. Temples often set up altars on this day to worship the stars and receive alms;

The ninth day: Tianye's birthday-the birthday of the Jade Emperor, a grand ceremony was held;

Day 10th: Stone Birthday-Don't use stone utensils such as mills, pestle, and mills. Burn incense and worship stone utensils.