Beans and rice grains dyed in five colours were given as an offering. If the day was cloudy and rainy, it signified a good harvest, but some disaster would also arise. To offset this they prayed to the straw effigies offering them soup made of seven types of vegetables.
In Hong Kong it is customary for people to greet each other with "Kung Hei Fat Choy", which means "wishing you success and prosperity". Here flower fairs are held in Victoria Park and other places where people can buy narcissus, peonies, pussy- willows and peach blossoms, all symbolising prosperity, as well as kumquat trees ("kum" has the same Chinese character in calligraphy as "gold" and the golden spherical fruit of this tree signifies wealth).
Lion dances are also popular at this time. The Chinese believe that a lion dance performed on a family's premises during auspicious occasions such as the Lunar New year will bring good luck. When a wealthy man invites a lion dance troupe to perform in his compound he usually ties a gift called "chai-ching" to the end of a long bamboo pole suspended from a high balcony. The lion displays his shrewdness, courage and skill by capturing the "chai-ching", which consists of a bunch of green lettuce leaves, a sprig of oranges and a Laisee packet.
The lion troupe forms a human pyramid on which the lion climbs and with his mouth catches the prize and swallows it. The whole performance is accompanied by the roll of drums, the clash of cymbals and the beating of gongs.
Firecrackers and fireworks were also part of the Lunar New Year celebrations in the old days. In Hong Kong now, gigantic fireworks displays are held over Victoria Harbour. Personal firecrackers have been banned in recent years but one can still hear their rat-tat-tat in the remote areas such as the New Territories and the Outlying Islands. Firecrackers were originally called "fow chook" or "bamboo explosives" because their sound resembled the explosions created by burning bamboo stems - these were used in ancient times to frighten away evil spirits, and firecrackers today still perform that function.
(Reproduced from the Hong Kong Travel Bulletin by
of the Hong Kong Tourist Association, Tel 01-930 4775)
permission