With the Chinese New Year quickly approaching, you are most likely wondering how best you should celebrate the evening.
Choosing to celebrate the New Year is a fantastic way to gather friends, family and loved ones and do something different, creating a memorable evening that you will all treasure for years to come.
One of the many joys about the Chinese New Year, is unlike the New Year on the 31st December, there are no expectations to go out and spend last amounts of money or drinking too much.
Are you considering gathering your friends and booking a table at your local restaurant, or perhaps you plan to stay in with the family and order a Chinese takeaway? This year aim to try and do something different and traditional with our guide on how to celebrate the New Year in style.
Head to London
Held in London every year, is the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside of Asia. With the streets around China Town and London turning into a mini street party with hanging red lanterns and large dragons dancing their way through the crowds, get into the festive spirit and join the celebration. Although the Chinese New Year falls on the 5th February, all the main festivities are being held on the 10th of February- be sure to plan your journey and the timings of what is happening and where.
Learn Chinese
Really embrace the New Year and learn something new, some Chinese New Year greetings. Whether you choose to attend the festivities in London or have a relaxing evening in your local restaurant, many people may choose to wish you “Happy New Year” in either Cantonese or Mandarin. Make the effort and respond in Mandarin with Xin Nian Kuai Le, which is pronounced as sing nee-ann koo-why ler.
Buy something red
Start the Chinese New Year off on a good foot and one tradition that is recommended, is the buying of something red for either your home or for yourself. One perfect place to go shopping for authentic oriental products is in London’s China Town, from paper lanterns, dog toys, or a new red dress.
Give a gift
It is traditional in China for a gift to be given on Chinese New Year. So what can you give for a gift? Typically, the gift tends to be money presented in a red envelope with the recipient’s name written in gold writing. Do you owe someone money? Or do you want to spoil someone that you love? Chinese New Year gives you the perfect opportunity whilst allowing you to celebrate in the festivities.
Feast on Chinese food
Nothing quite says celebrating the Chinese New Year than with Chinese food. You can either choose to treat yourself and gather your friends in your local Chinese restaurant, paying to be served on, or remaining comfy at home with your family surrounding you. There is another way and one which will make the 2019 The Year of the Pig a memorable year, cooking your own Chinese takeaway. If you are wanting to give cooking your favourite meal a go this New Year, or you are unsure and feeling a bit nervous as to where you will start to tackle this large challenge, look at our blog on how to create a homemade Chinese takeaway using trusted recipes from our favourite celebrity chef, Jeremy Pang.
If this blog has been of interest to you, or you are after more inspiration to get you into the festive spirit, browse our other blogs, full of interesting facts and fantastic recipes to make the Year of the Pig a memorable year.
