Chinese New Year Greetings 2021 » Customs, Wishes & Gifts

China is a nation of colorful languages. There are many variations to even the most simple Chinese New Year greetings. You have probably heard of xīn nián kuài lè (新年快乐) or Happy New Year, but it is said differently in other Chinese regions. You will learn more interesting facts about the Chinese people when you browse over the Chinese New Year website.

Chinese New Year Greetings and Customs

China is home to over ten dialects including the Beijing dialect, Cantonese, and Shanghainese. However, this number doesn’t take into account the 55 other ethnicities in the country that speak diverse languages. As a matter of fact, people in the northern regions and those in the southern regions can barely understand each other.

Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese New Year Greetings

Cantonese is also one of the most widely used dialects in China apart from Mandarin. Unlike English, both these languages are tonal. Mandarin has four tones, while Cantonese has nine.

To say “Happy New Year” in Cantonese, it is pronounced san1 nin4 faai3 lok6 (春节快乐). You can also say ceon1 zit3 faai3 lok6 or ceon1 zit3 jyu4 faai3 which translates to “Happy Spring Festival.” The latter uses a more formal way to say “happy.” If you want to greet someone a “Happy Spring Festival” in Mandarin, say chūn jiē kuài lè.

If you visit regions where Cantonese is the dominant language, you are also more likely to hear gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4 (恭喜发财). This is because they fancy saying this blessing for wealth and prosperity instead of the usual san1 nin4 faai3 lok6. It is can also be said in Mandarin: gong xǐ fā cái.

There are also more poetic ways to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese. Gōng hè xīn xǐ (恭贺新禧) means “respectful congratulations on the New Year,” while xīn chūn zhì xǐ (新春志禧) literally means “to record the happiness from the new spring.” You can also bring out festive vibes by wearing traditional Chinese New Year clothes or by adorning your homes with lucky Chinese New Year decoration.

Chinese New Year Visits and Gifts

Largely based on the philosophy of Confucianism, The Chinese people in the Chinese culture heavily emphasizes manners, respect, and courtesy. There are even rules specific rules when enjoying Chinese New Year drinks after a meal of delicious Chinese New Year food with your family.

Bài nián (拜年) is the act of greeting and blessing during the Chinese New Year. To practice bài nián, you must visit and bring gifts to your relatives from the eldest of your father’s side first. You can expect to receive money placed in red envelopes called yā suì qián (压岁钱) in return. Yā suì qián literally means “money to anchor the year.”

red pocket with luck money given as chinese new year greetings
Luck money is placed inside red envelops and given as gifts.

Back when the currency in China consisted of coins with a hole in the middle, elders used red strings to tie them together and give to their children. The red paper was later used to wrap money until red envelopes became the popular medium.

If you are given a red envelope, do not forget to perform three kē tóu (磕头) in front of your elders as a sign of respect. Kneel and position your hands on the ground just in front you, bend over and rest your head between your hands.

three men performing the kē tóu as a sign of respect
The kē tóu is the ultimate show of respect.

In other regions, married couples give out yā suì qián to single friends in hopes of transferring some luck. You can learn more about this tradition by reading our article on the Chinese red pocket!

If you want to enjoy the festivities and great food during the Chinese New Year, keep these rules and customs in mind and should be able to celebrate without worrying about being awkward.

FAQ

What are the most popular New Year Greetings?

过年好
guò nián hǎo
Happy New Year!


新年快乐,万事如意
xīn nián kuài lè, wàn shì rú yì
Happy New Year and may all go well with you.


新年快乐,阖家幸福
xīn nián kuài lè, hé jiā xìng fú
Happy New Year and wish you a happy family.


恭喜发财
gōng xǐ fā cái
Wish you happiness and prosperity!


恭喜发财,红包拿来
gōng xǐ fā cái, hóng bāo ná lái
Wish you happiness and prosperity; give me a red envelope. (kidding)

Conclusion

According to the Chinese tradition, they greet the elders or seniors before others. During group introductions, they line up according to their age. the elders at the front of the line, the young ones at the back. The Chinese dislike when they are back slapped or hugged or make any body contact. They applaud or bow while greeting.

There are also so many things that the chinese people think brings bad luck in life specially if they do something which they are not supposed to do in the New Years and it’s part of their celebrations to keep good health and fortune and send messages to friends and relatives on this festive holiday. Parents give money to kids on this occasion. They call it ‘lucky money’. Firecrackers are displayed and effort is made to make the festival a good one. On this auspicious time, the Chinese make good relations and keep the family happy. Millions of people celebrate the Chinese New Year as well as family reunions happen. I hope you found this article interesting. If you have any questions, do leave a comment down below. Ask about formal greeting, lunar calendar, common greeting, sun tai gin hong or anything from our article.

If this information was useful to you, please leave your views and if there is something which we missed, then please let us know in the comment section.

2 thoughts on “Chinese New Year Greetings 2021 » Customs, Wishes & Gifts”

  1. “The new year will include the travel and visa restrictions that make it possible to work in China” I’m actually curious, is this a joke, or is this just a “foreign” thing?

    Reply
  2. “The new year will include the travel and visa restrictions that make it possible to work in China” I’m actually curious, is this a joke, or is this just a “foreign” thing?

    Reply

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