Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with Blessings
This Year of the Rabbit is the time to be grateful and giving. Anthony Liu talks about what the Lunar New Year tradition means to him.
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By the time when I wrote this blog, it was about a week towards the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit. The massive Spring Festival travel in China started on Jan 7 and would last for 40 days. It was estimated that over 1.6 billion passenger trips would happen during the period. Meanwhile, almost at the same time, one day after the start of the Spring Travel, Jan 8, the border between China and Hong Kong reopened again, with most of the Covid measures relieved. This is an exciting moment for everyone in China, Hong Kong, and Macau, as it is the first time in three years that they can have reunions with friends and families. Previously, this was not possible as everyone was separated from many of their loved ones due to Covid measures in their hometowns or elsewhere.
What the Lunar New Year tradition mean to me
One of the most practiced traditions in the Lunar New Year among Asian and Chinese communities in China or overseas, is the giveaway of red envelopes (Hongbao in China, lai see in Hong Kong, ang pao in Singapore, Indonesia, etc.) from seniors, older generations, married couples to kids or younger generations, to send the blesses and good luck in the new year. The advancement of the use of digital and electronics moved this tradition to a new height, especially in China. Now, you can send your electronic red envelopes virtually to the recipients. As a result, the numerous message notifications one receives during the Lunar New Year might be the blessings with red envelopes!
The advancement of the use of digital and electronics moved this tradition to a new height, especially in China. Now, you can send your electronic red envelopes virtually to the recipients.
Despite the convenience of sending red envelopes digitally, I personally treasure the traditional approach, where the younger generations would be expected to greet seniors with their newly learned blessing Chinese words in the forms of idioms or phrases, while in return, the seniors would also say their blessings of the new year. All these touches, human interactions under the happy atmosphere, form the uniqueness of every Lunar New Year. Therefore, I would never feel tedious in asking for new bank notes (yes, we put money in red envelopes if you do not know!) from banks, folding, and fitting them into every red envelope I am preparing to give away, a few weeks before the festival.
In this Year of the Rabbit, let’s be grateful for our blessings and give back by being generous and kind to others. On behalf of SHL, I wish you, your family, and your friends a healthy, prosperous, and happy year in this Year of the Rabbit!
Check out my other Lunar New Year blog and our resources for more blogs over holidays and celebrations!
