A Short Look At Asian New Years Greetings

Find out about the traditional and modern ways of wishing each other on the event of the Chinese New Year.

If you are going to be heading towards China during New Year’s time you should expect a lot of people coming up to you and saying Guo Nian Hao. This means Happy New Year in their local language. Don’t be amazed if it’s early February and you are getting to hear people wishing each other happy New Year because the Chinese New Year falls on a totally different date.

The reason why Chinese celebrate their New Year on different date from ours is because they go according to lunar Calendar. The lunar calendar has a different way of calculation therefore their New Year falls on a different date. Chinese people make the New Year celebrations important and a happy occasion with revival of ancient custom and traditions and carry them forward every year.

As soon as the lunar New Year begins in China, people who are strangers will wish you, as this is such a happy occasion for them. Wherever you may go even if it’s a market, you will be wished a Guo Nian Hao by the staff. At this time of festivity the whole nation rises to the occasion.

According to Chinese tradition the New Year is celebrated for five days in the beginning of the year. As such the greeting like Guo Nian Hao is used only for this time period after which it is traditionally not proper to wish anyone. Also there are other Chinese words which means New Year too which are used for wishing at this time.

The New Year for Chinese is a moment when people hope and pray for abundance in future for everyone including themselves for the rest of the year. The Chinese people demonstrate their happiness by using terms like Hokkien Keong hee huat chye, Gonxi Facai for best wishes and success in life to others.

Another common greeting that has been part of the traditional set of Chinese New Year greetings is one wishing the other person for an abundant harvest in the coming year.

During Chinese New Year they use another form of wishing the best for the coming year with red envelop but it is not verbal greeting. This envelop contains money which is given to the children in hope of keeping the wicked things away.

With the coming of modernity the form of New Year greeting is also changing in China. There is no set way of greeting and people wish each other in their own ways. Unlike the ancient times New Year card has become pretty common form of greeting in today’s China.

likewise with the advent of the internet you have people exchanging e-cards in order to greet each other a Happy Chinese New Year. The government too has its own way of greeting the public with a massive fireworks display.

Mandarin Chinese new year songs are a good way of getting into the spirit of new year celebrations. If you would like to read more about Chinese new year greeting follow the hyperlinks herein.