Chinese New Year: The Prelude

It’s a lot of things from the biggest annual migration and one of the largest holidays in the world. The buildup to it starts weeks ahead. When I got to Singapore in early January, decorations were already up for Lunar New Year, oranges (the traditional gift) were being sold everywhere, and . This first post (of five) on Chinese New Year will focus on the buildup to the holiday and some of the history of these events.

Rabbit at Lau Pa Sat

Think of Lunar New Year a bit like Christmas back in the United States. In the month before the new year, stores are resplendent in red. Gifts and traditional new year’s goods are laid out in the front of stores. Throughout shopping malls, train stations, and Chinatown there are rabbits to celebrate the coming of the year of the Rabbit. Also everywhere there are signs about what the year of the rabbit means for each individual person based on their Zodiac sign. By my symbol, the Horse, this year will be excellent for me financially and for my career, but my relationships will suffer. So a pretty Scroogy year, lonely but rich. But at the same time that fortune is pretty vague; it could have a hidden meaning.

Decorations in Chinatown

Traditional foods are on display. The most recognizable are the oranges. Each orange at this time is individually packaged and shoppers queue up to pick the exact fruits they want, rejecting fruit due to a variety of tiny flaws. The prices reflect this as a box of 6 oranges is anywhere from 20-30 SGD (around 15-20 USD). But oranges are not the only traditional items. There are also gift boxes with a variety of sweets, all packaged in red.

Or if you want to celebrate as a family there are salad mix boxes. These kits generally contain some prepackaged noodles and a bunch of toppings of different colors from croutons to seaweed to sauce packets to spice packets. The idea is that you put all the different packets together on as a family and each one is making you lucky in whatever way the color works. When you put the entire thing together you toss the salad. Literally. You toss the salad up into the air as high as you can go. While this does make a bit of a mess, it makes up for it in the atmosphere it creates. Doing this with other exchange students is quite fun.

Throughout all of Singapore, the decorations and pre-festivity decorations create an amazing festive atmosphere. Everyone is ready for the holiday. They get a couple days off and meet with family (sometimes the only time they can see family throughout the entire year). The city reflects this. This was actually my favorite time in Singapore as the entire city felt completely different from its normal business centric view.

This rat from a couple years ago got turned into a rabbit