Buying in good fortune for the New Year

After a year's hard work, thrifty Chinese people indulge in spending money on their favourite things.

No matter how different are their hobbies, there are usually some things which are common to all households in Spring Festival. If you want to have a real Chinese New Year, you must make sure you have everything on the following list.

Money as a New Year present

If you visit a Chinese family during Spring Festival, if you are a good friend of the family and if they have young children who are still at school or kids at university, you should give their children money named Yasuiqian which is thought to safeguard them in the New Year. Generally speaking, 100 or 200 yuan ($12 or $24) is enough.

It is a Chinese tradition which has been reserved after so many years while most other old traditions have been disappeared with the passing of time.

So a hongbao or "red envelope" in which the cash should be presented is a useful buy. The pretty packaging is essential, money by itself will seem coarse.

Most red envelopes are embellished with golden patterns of fish which means spare money in Chinese or sailing boats which mean smooth, plain sailing and success. Some have auspicious words such as "happiness," "wealth" and "health."

Red envelopes can be bought at the intersection of Lishui and Renmin roads near Yuyuan Garden, Fuzhou Road and many other places. They are very cheap, about 0.1 yuan ($0.01) each.

One word for good luck in the New Year

Putting up a picture of the character "fu" (or good luck) on the door is an old tradition in China. In recent years, it has become popular again.

Generally speaking, Chinese people like to paste "fu" up-side-down, suggesting "good luck has come home," because the Chinese character dao (up-side-down) is homophonic with the character for "arrive."

The stores selling red envelopes also sell fu pictures.

Fireworks and firecrackers

A Chinese legend says that there used to be a monster named Nian which means "year" in English. The monster would always attack people during Spring Festival. So some clever people thought out a method to frighten Nian away. They threw bamboo into a fire, which would make huge bang. Nian was scared and disappeared.

That was how the tradition of setting off firecrackers during Spring Festival was engendered. And generation after generation has kept it alive.

Though the government doesn't encourage people to set off fireworks or firecrackers which cause a high incidence of fires around Spring Festival, to most Shanghainese the firecracker is still an essential part of the festival.

The most auspicious moment for letting off a firecracker is at 0:00 am, New Year's Day. The 5th day of the Lunar New Year which falls on February 9 this year is also a good day to set off firecrackers. The day is said to be a good time to welcome the God of Wealth. So the earlier you set off the firecracker, the more likely that the God of Wealth will come to your home.

You should only buy fireworks and firecrackers in stores in possession of a "Fireworks and Firecrackers Sales Licence" awarded by Shanghai Fire Bureau which is a guarantee of high quality and safety.

The city has approved about 230 kinds of fireworks and firecrackers this year which are easily available in the above stores in residential areas.

Food for the New Year

Don't think jiaozi (a kind of Chinese dumplings) is the traditional food for New Year in all of China. Actually Chinese dumplings are a popular New Year's food in North China.

While in South China including Shanghai, niangao (or New Year's cake made from rice flour) is the real New Year's dish. The glutinous white rectangles which mean better life in the New Year are always the main part of the New Year dinner. You can buy niangao in large supermarkets such as Hualian and Nong Gong Shang.

The Taste of the Sun

Known as the "seeds of the sun," sunflower seeds are an important item on Chinese people's dinner tables during Spring Festival.

Sunflower seeds are not only delicious, but also good for the health. Sunflower kernels are a good source of iron, potassium, thiamine, vitamin E and dietary fibre.

Ka Hao Jia, A Ming and Tai Feng are the most famous brands of sunflower seeds in Shanghai. They are imported sunflower seeds which come from the US which are very big and easy to crack.

In China, people never crack several sunflower seeds in the mouth at one time like American people, Chinese are used to cracking them one by one, or you will be thought of as clumsy and graceless.

Sunflower seeds can be found in most supermarkets and large food stores.

Have a big change in appearance -

Apart from the delicious food and fireworks, maybe the biggest material source of happiness for families during Spring Festival is the buying of new clothes. This was an especially joyful activity during the years when Chinese people were not so rich.

Traditional Chinese costumes in particular are a top buy for the festival. They make you stand out in the crowd with magnificent brocade and embroidery.

In fact, there are dozens of stores that sell or make Chinese traditional costumes in Shanghai such as Yuyaun International Shopping Centre in Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Friendship Shopping Centre (No 6 Zunyi Road South). There are also several such stores along Changle Road.

Spring flowers

Flowers have won more and more favour with Shanghai people. They make a good decoration or present for the Spring Festival.

Professional flower arrangers recommend tender willow (Yinliu in Chinese) and red roses which have auspicious meanings in Chinese culture.

The red rose has the most propitious colour. It can combined with the yellow lily, a mix which is also suitable for Valentine's Day.

But the price of flowers always soars during Spring Festival. A bunch of 16 roses costs nearly double at 40 yuan ($4.84) and some of the big roses are even as much as 35 yuan ($4.23) each.

Good quality and cheap flowers are available in Jingwen Flower Market near Shaanxi Road South and Fuxing Road Middle.

Shanghai Star