One of the things I love most about living overseas is learning about the local holidays. This has certainly been the case in Asia, where there are no western counterparts to many celebrations. The most intriguing I’ve come across is the Hungry Ghost Festival, celebrated among Chinese people across Asia on the 15th day of […]
Chinese New Year
What about those little red envelopes?
On New Year’s Eve, when Chinese families gather for a festive dinner, married people begin the distribution of small red envelopes filled with money (called lai see in Hong Kong and hong bao in Singapore) to children and single members of the family. It varies slightly between countries, but during the first 10 days of the […]
Wishing you lots of Foo in the New Year!
This time of year, the most popular Chinese character around town is “fu”, pronounced, “foo.” A friend once explained that “fu” means “good fortune” or “blessings” and this time of year, it is appropriate to wish your friends and relatives “fu” for the New Year. As with many traditions associated with Chinese New Year, “fu” is not […]