South China Morning Post
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SCMP Series
How to celebrate the Year of The Ox in 2021
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Which Chinese zodiac sign will have the best Year of the Ox?
Main illustration for the Year of the Ox predictions feature to run on February 2021.
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Strong as an ox: what does the Lunar New Year hold for us?
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How poon choi went from communal feast to gourmet takeaway
Vegetarian poon choi served at Soil to Soul in K11 Musea, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Kong. Traditionally eaten on festive occasions in villages in the Pearl River Delta, poon choi has evolved into a gourmet dish. Photo: Soil to Soul
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Exclusive ‘Lunar New Year at Home’ pack - free download
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Lunar New Year kumquats: lucky fruit has health benefits too
A worker picks kumquats in Miyazaki prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. The kumquat is a traditional Lunar New Year fruit that is also rich in nutrition and vitamins. Photo: Miyazaki Prefecture Agricultural Office.
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How to make vegan san choi bao for a Lunar New Year feast
Susan Jung’s vegan san choi bao. Photography: SCMP / Jonathan Wong. Styling: Nellie Ming Lee. Kitchen: courtesy of Wolf at House of Madison
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Where the Lunar New Year dish yu sheng comes from
Diners toss yu sheng ingredients for prosperity at a Lunar New Year feast.
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Decluttering tips for Lunar New Year
Organising your room properly might involve buying more stuff!
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How WeChat brought a Lunar New Year’s tradition into the 21st century
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How Hongkongers celebrate Chinese New Year
Calligrapher Derek Chan with his fai chun. Photo: Daniel Moss
Announcements

Exclusive ‘Lunar New Year at Home’ pack - free download

  • The Year of the Ox will be like no other, with many families remaining at home rather than taking part in the traditional visit to show respect to elders known as bai neen
  • To help you celebrate the Lunar New Year, SCMP is sending you our exclusive ‘Lunar New Year at Home’ prosperity pack
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Lunar New Year is a time of regeneration, retrospectives and family gathering. A splash of red and gold on the streets.

Some of the customs and traditions involve: decorating homes and workplaces with kumquat trees (representing prosperity) and flowers such as narcissus and peach blossoms; fai chun (lucky red banners) that are hung on a home’s front door; lai see (lucky money) that is given or received, depending on whether you are married or single, older or younger, or a manager or an employee.
Like any other ancient cultural tradition, there are numerous magical mythologies to explain the origins of the Lunar New Year festival.

What should we expect in the Year of the Ox? What are the five elements, and what do they all represent? Why do we pair red banners with calligraphy? What are the lucky sayings to learn, and the ones to avoid? What are the lucky festive dishes to eat and what are the meanings behind each of them?

This year, the Year of the Ox will be like no other with many families remaining at home rather than taking part in the traditional visit to show respect to elders known as bai neen. Instead, many families will rely on technology to bring them together as travel has been severely disrupted.

To help you celebrate the Lunar New Year, SCMP is sending you our exclusive “Lunar New Year at Home” prosperity pack. You can enjoy festive content curated and designed by the Post’s award-winning infographics team, including:

  • The Year of the Ox explained
  • A recipe for “reunion” rice balls from Susan Jung, Food & Wine Editor, SCMP
  • Eight printable fai chun banners
  • Four Lunar New Year virtual meeting backgrounds

Download our exclusive prosperity pack for free when you register an account on SCMP, and celebrate the Year of the Ox in style.

Kung hei fat choi!

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