Explainer | How to stay lucky over Lunar New Year and what it means if you’re a pig in the Chinese zodiac: everything you need to know
- Hong Kong and Chinese communities around the world are gearing up for the Year of the Pig. Here are our tips for the festive period and the year ahead
Lunar New Year is one of the most popular festivals celebrated by East Asians and their diasporas worldwide. In Hong Kong, homes and streets become filled with the sweet scent of flowers and the pungency of festive snacks, before spectacular fireworks captivate the city, ringing in a new beginning.
On Tuesday the world will welcome the Year of the Pig. The celebrations will last until February 19, the day of the Lantern Festival. As Hong Kong amps up ahead of the big day, red and gold decorations can be spotted citywide, flower markets will pop up in every district, and families will begin bustling around shops in search of traditional foods and red envelopes in which to stuff cash gifts.
The festival is a time for delectable meals, new clothes and toys, and most importantly, family.
But what will the year following the festival bring for all those “pigs” out there, and for Hong Kong as a whole?
What does being born in the Year of the Pig mean?
It’s believed that people born in a given year will have the personality of that year’s animal. In Chinese culture, pigs are a symbol of wealth and prosperity – their chubby faces and big ears signal great fortune. Each zodiac sign and year is associated with one of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Earth and the pig represent 2019, while past pig years include 2007, 1995, 1983, and 1971.
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Arising every 12 years, people born in the lunar year of the pig are seen to be compassionate and loyal, never refusing an opportunity to lend help. Pigs are diligent. They devote all of their energy to fulfilling their goals, combating the lazy and clumsy aspects of their personality. Pigs trust easily, and are pure of heart, but they can therefore be easily fooled.
Beware though. According to Chinese astrology, the year of one’s birth sign is unlucky, so pigs, be careful! Stick to what’s lucky! The numbers two, five, and eight, and the colours yellow, grey, brown, and gold will serve you well this year.
How do Hongkongers celebrate Lunar New Year?
The fireworks lighting Hong Kong’s night sky aren’t merely a celebratory bang. According to the legend of the mythical beast Nian, firecrackers scare off monsters and bad luck.
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Family is the basis of Chinese society, and on no day is family more important than New Year’s Eve, when a feast is served at home. Spring rolls celebrate the coming of spring, dumplings symbolise the exchange between old and new, unbroken “longevity noodles” bring a long life, and steamed fish and rice cakes signal prosperity and success.
While each day of the two-week festival is unique in its celebrations, the Lantern Festival, or Jyun Siu Zit, which falls on the last day, is most celebrated. Revellers take to the outdoors, lanterns in hand as they gaze at the full moon, their bellies full of glutinous rice balls, or tong jyun.
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What’s the difference between the Chinese zodiac and Western astrology?
Both systems are based on year of birth, categorised by 12 animal-based signs that affect one’s personality and predict your fortune. The division and designation of these signs, however, differs. In Western astrology, the 12 signs are based on the stars – constellation positions named after Greek mythology, relative to the movement of the Earth, and therefore changing on a month-by-month basis. Chinese astrology, meanwhile, is divided by lunar years.
According to one legend, the Jade Emperor decided on the zodiac by the order in which the animals arrived at his great meeting. The pig came last, and thus became the 12th animal in the 12-year zodiac cycle. The Cantonese insult, laan zyu, or “lazy pig”, finds its origins here.
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Both frameworks predict romantic compatibility – taking into account the unique personality traits of each animal. Goats, tigers and rabbits are most compatible with the pig.
Lunar New Year dos and don’ts
The Spring Festival, as it is also known, is a time of new beginnings, so buy and wear new clothes to prepare for an auspicious new year. Visit and spend time with family and close friends – it is a time for celebration with those you most love. Decorate your home with red paper cuttings and an upside-down “fuk” for prosperity. Hang spring calligraphy couplets on your walls and around your doors.
Give red packets with lucky money inside to children to pass on a year of good fortune and blessings. Bless friends and family with benevolent wishes. Beyond a simple “happy new year”, the master wish of maan see yu yee – “may all your dreams come true” – is popular.
To avoid cursing the new year before it’s begun, do not say negative words, break ceramics or glass, clean, or use sharp objects. Do not gift people with clocks – the Chinese phrase that means “gifting clocks” is a homophone of paying one’s last respects. Splitting pears is similarly a homophone for separation. And importantly, do not cut your noodles at dinner; noodles symbolise the longevity of life, therefore cutting them is akin to cutting your life short – an awful premonition, especially at Lunar New Year.
