The Lunar New Year (also known as the Chinese New Year) is one of the most anticipated celebrations in Singapore, regardless of whether you’re a student or a full-time working adult.
It is a time filled with reunions, TVB movies, and exchanging meaningful gifts – although we can probably secretly agree that the main highlight is sometimes the long weekend break.
During the time leading up to the occasion, we often find ourselves asking “What is the perfect gift to send for CNY?”. Whether it’s for our loved ones, relatives or colleagues, finding the perfect CNY gift is tough as we might not always be sure what symbolises good fortune, good health or prosperity.
But fortunately for you, I have the answer to your question.
In this guide, we will explore the art of CNY gifting – from traditional favourites to modern trends – and examine the significance behind some of these popular choices to help with your decision-making. If that sounds like what you need, let’s get right to it.
What is Chinese New Year (CNY)?
To pick the perfect gift, we first need to learn more about this holiday. Even though many of us grew up simply seeing CNY as another “get-out-of-school-free” card, the celebration has much underlying history and meaning.
The Gregorian (Western) calendar is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun in a year (left) while the Lunar calendar follows the phases of the Moon (right)
Unlike the Western New Year celebration, which occurs on the 1st of January every year, the date of the Chinese New Year differs every year as it follows the lunar calendar, which is based on the monthly cycles of the Moon’s phases. As such, the 1st day of CNY tends to change with each passing year, although it always falls between January 21 and February 21.
While the exact beginning date of the celebration was not recorded, it is often believed to have originated during the Shang Dynasty (1766 – 1122 BC). The first day of the New Year was however only fixed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 581 CE).
The mythical Nian beast being warded off by the loud noises of the fireworks
“A popular legend related to Chinese New Year is that of the Nian, a mythical beast said to attack people and cause destruction. The firecrackers, commonly associated with the celebration, were said to scare off the beast, eventually becoming a customary tradition.”
A helpful timeline for understanding the order of the different Chinese Dynasties. Read from left to right (the periods may differ between records)
During these earlier periods, traditions and customs were largely focused on the aspect of worship and not the celebration of familial togetherness and reunion that we see today.
Sacrificial ceremonies held by officials were central to the celebration then due to the belief that they brought blessings for a bountiful harvest and protection in the coming year.
The customary traditions of today like the lion dances and reunion dinners only largely arose in the later periods such as the Tang and Qing dynasties, as the celebration made its way into the lives of the common folk.
“Apart from worship, the common folk sought to liven up the occasion, giving rise to newer customs such as setting off firecrackers and gathering for reunion meals.”
With these newer traditions, the celebration slowly evolved to symbolize ushering in good fortune, family unity, and prosperity for the year ahead.
What was once a solemn period of worship was transformed into a vibrant and festive occasion that reflects the importance of relationships and shared hopes for a better future.
What is the significance of Chinese New Year (CNY) Gifts?
While customs and traditions may vary between regions, one universal tradition that is never left out is the act of giving. The tradition of gifting plays a big part in CNY celebrations as they serve to not only build new relationships but also strengthen pre-existing bonds.
“Regardless of the occasion, gifting serves as a means to express appreciation for others and often acts as a way to strengthen and build closer relationships.”
The exchanging of gifts with others is said to also symbolize the exchange of blessings for prosperity, health and happiness – key values ingrained into modern CNY celebrations.
Apart from these overarching values, different gifts (such as red packets and traditional snacks) also tend to be imbued with unique meanings.
What is the meaning behind the Red Packets?
Red Packets – also known as Hong Bao (红包) – are undeniably the most highly sought-after Chinese New Year gifts due to their contents. Being filled with money, Red Packets are a symbol of good luck and prosperity and are typically given to children, unmarried adults or parents to bless them with some “Huat”.
“Did you know that the word “Huat” is a Hokkien dialect for the Chinese word “Fa” (发) and itself does not have any meaning? The word gains its meaning due to its common association with the term “Fa Cai” which means “to prosper”.”
The Hong Bao may also sometimes go by the name, Ya Sui Qian, a name rooted in an ancient legend. According to legend, there once existed a demon named “Sui” which preyed on sleeping children on New Year’s Eve, bringing harm in the form of illnesses.
To prevent the demon from hurting their child, one family decided to keep their child awake by giving them coins in a red packet to play with. The child played with the coins but still eventually fell asleep with the red packet under their pillow.
When Sui tried to attack the sleeping child, the coins emitted a strong light that scared the demon off, protecting the child from danger. Since then, giving red packets served as both a form of protection against Sui and a token of good luck.
Who knew that Red Packets had such a mythical origin story?
What is the meaning behind Traditional Chinese New Year (CNY) Snacks?
Accurate depiction of me around Kuih Bangkit and Love Letters
Apart from receiving Hong Baos, another thing that I often look forward to during my yearly visitings is the Traditional Chinese New Year (CNY) snacks. My favourites are the Kueh Bangkit and Love Letters, and you can be sure that, whenever I’m around, these snacks will never survive to see the end of the day.
Interestingly, many of these traditional snacks have meaning behind them that we probably are not aware of – these include:
1. Pineapple Tarts – Pineapple Tarts are probably one of the most popular CNY snacks, coming in many forms over the years – from tarts to cookies to even pastries.
Originating from the Peranakan community, these tarts symbolize prosperity and good luck, due to the Hokkien term for Pineapple – “Ong Lai” – translating directly into “fortune come”. This is why you also often see pineapple decorations during the New Year.
2. Kuih Bangkit – The name “Kuih Bangkit” means “to rise” and is derived from how the cookie rises when baking. Similar to the Pineapple tart, this CNY goodie also has its origins in the Peranakan community.
It is believed that due to its name, eating the Kuih Bangkit will help you overcome challenges in the new year – allowing you to “rise” above your difficulties.
3. Love Letters – The name “Love Letters” was said to originate from the act of rolling secret love letters into wafer biscuits for their lovers when village girls were not allowed to meet boys in the past.
As such, the love letters symbolize the expression of love and consuming means to take that love to heart.
4. Nuts – Nuts (such as peanuts and pistachios) are popular as standalone snacks or additives to other cookies.
Different types of nuts have their unique meanings where the peanut, for instance, symbolises a long, healthy life if consumed as their Chinese name, “Hua Sheng”, can be translated into “Flower of Life”. Pistachios, on the other hand, represent happiness due to the nuts themselves “smiling”.
5. Mandarins and Tangerines – While not baked snacks like the others, these fruits have equally meaningful symbology, where Mandarins symbolize gold and wealth while Tangerines symbolize luck and success.
With the amount of “Huat” packed into these fruits, they are often given to the hosts during lunar visiting, blessing them with abundance and luck.
What should you take note of when picking Chinese New Year (CNY) Gifts?
Before we dive deeper into some gift ideas, let’s first take a look at some gifting etiquette and find out what we should avoid – as even the most meaningful gift can come across as rude if not gifted properly.
#1 Selecting an Appropriate Colour for Your Gift
When selecting your gift and its wrapping, it’s important to ensure that the appropriate colours are selected as colour symbolism is innate to the Chinese culture – where certain values are attached to certain colours.
Colours that you should absolutely avoid include:
- White – Associated with mourning and funerals, representing sorrow and thus unsuitable for festive occasions.
- Black – Often associated with bad luck and misfortune, and thus should be avoided as it contradicts the joyous and auspicious mood of CNY.
- Blue – In traditional Chinese customs, blue can also symbolize mourning and is generally considered inappropriate for celebratory gifts.
- Green – Although not commonly known, green is sometimes seen as a symbol of infidelity due to an ancient tale where a lady would signal to her secret lover the absence of her husband by donning a green hat. The colour “Green” has thus since been seen as a symbol of unfaithfulness.
Colours appropriate for the occasion include:
- Red – Represents happiness, good fortune, and energy, while also being believed to ward off evil spirits and bring luck to the recipient. Red is the most iconic colour of CNY, often used in decorations, clothing, and gift wrapping.
- Gold or Yellow – Symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and success with accents (gold or yellow) being often combined with red to create the ultimate symbol of auspiciousness.
While this sounds like a bit to take in, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the appropriate colours as Chinese New Year often brings a sea of red and gold along with it!
#2 Avoiding the Unlucky Numbers
Similar to colour symbolism, Chinese culture also attaches meaning to numbers, being based on the Chinese word that the number sounds similar to.
For instance, the number “four” is often seen as inauspicious as it has a Chinese pronunciation (四: si) that is very similar to the pronunciation of death (死: si). Even numbers also tend to be preferred over odd numbers.
These “number” rules can be applied to both monetary gifts and other physical items such as snacks – where for instance, a set of four items should be avoided while a set of eight items is seen as auspicious.
#3 Avoiding Certain Items and Food Stuffs
While receiving gifts is typically a good thing, there are some items that you should avoid as your CNY gift as they are often considered inauspicious. Some of these gifts include:
- Sharp objects – Any sort of sharp objects (such as kitchen knives, cutlery, scissors) should be avoided as it is believed to mean “cutting ties” with the recipient.
- Black or White objects – The colours “Black” and “White” are commonly associated with death and funerals, and thus seen as inauspicious.
- Pears – While the Mandarin and Tangerines are fruits that you should gift, the pear should be avoided as its Chinese pronunciation (梨: Li) sounds similar to the Chinese word for “Leave” (离: Li). It is thus viewed to mean that the recipient would leave your life, making it considered to be bad luck.
- Clocks or Watches – In the Chinese language, the phrase “Giving a clock” sounds highly similar to “Attending a funeral”. Gifting a clock or watch is thus viewed to be highly inauspicious and said to bring bad luck to the recipient.
- Candles – While a scented candle might be a good gift for holidays like Christmas, they should be avoided during CNY due to their association with farewells and funerals, making them highly inauspicious.
What are some Chinese New Year (CNY) Gift Ideas?
Now that you are well-equipped with the do’s and don’ts of CNY gifting, let’s take a look at the different options that you can consider when gift hunting. With CNY gifts, the options you can choose from include:
- Baked goods (Kuih) – Traditional CNY snacks or modern takes of them
- Fruits – Mandarins, tangerines, pomelo
- Luxury food items – Abalone, birds nest
- Tonic foods – Ginseng, cordyceps
- Tea Leaves or Wines (Drinks) – Oolong, white tea, Chinese liquor (白酒: Bai Jiu)
- Practical gifts – scented sprays, lucky plants
- Red Packets
Between these different choices, edible gifts (kuih, fruits) often stand out as the popular choice not only due to the universal appreciation of snacks by all ages – be it kids or adults – but due to their consumable nature, are unlikely to go unused and discarded.
The baked kuihs also stand out as favourites as they are not only affordable but have longer shelf-lives and don’t spoil as quickly unlike other perishables (such as fruits).
What Baked Chinese New Year (CNY) Goodies should you get?
With baked goodies, you can never go wrong with the traditional such as pineapple tarts, prawn rolls or peanut cookies, each carrying symbolic meanings of prosperity and happiness. Popular traditional goodies include:
- Pineapple Tarts
- Kuih Bangkit
- Green Pea Cookies
- Peanut Cookies
- Cashew Cookies
- Love Letters
- Prawn Rolls
Traditional snacks can often be found in many places when approaching the New Year, from supermarkets to shopping malls.
While you might be inclined to get them online, getting them from CNY fairs (such as Takashimaya or VivoCity) would likely be the better option as you are often allowed to sample the treats before purchase – ensuring that you will be satisfied with the quality of the goodies.
“Buying traditional snacks online is often difficult due to the numerous brands available such as Mdm Ling Bakery or Bread Garden. As these brands often set up booths at CNY fairs, checking them out in person will allow you to better identify your preferred brands.”
Your best bet if you’re looking for a wide range of goodies is to head to Chinatown where vendors set up stalls alongside the streets, selling all sorts of treats (and while you’re there, you can even grab some CNY decors for your home).
What are some Modern Chinese New Year (CNY) Goodies available?
While traditional snacks are undeniably beloved staples, modern variations of CNY baked goods can bring a fresh twist to old favourites – breathing new life into these timeless classics.
“Opting for these modern variations alongside traditional variants not only allows you to embrace tradition but offers greater variety for guests and your recipients to enjoy.”
Most importantly, modern variations can also cater to the changing preferences of this decade, such as health-conscious options (low-sugar or gluten-free treats) or uniquely-flavoured snacks (hazelnut, matcha, peanut butter), making them suitable for more individuals.
Some brands which you can get these snacks from include:
1. The moonbeam co.
At the moonbeam co., we blend sustainability, quality, and customisation to create favours that leave a lasting impression for any occasion. Incorporating upcycled ingredients such as spent grains and coffee grounds, our options are both delicious and environmentally conscious.
Additionally, with double the fibre and protein, they are often healthier than conventional options while retaining their indulgent touch. Our offerings from the previous New Year included:
- Buttery Almond
- Fragrant Almond
- Chocolate Chip
- Jade Jasmine
If you would like to keep up to date with our offerings for the coming New Year, do follow us on our social media! Additionally, we offer customisation with our goodies (read more about it here) so do not hesitate to drop us an email or message if you have any questions.
2. Mdm Ling Bakery
Mdm Ling Bakery not only offers traditional snacks but also a wide range of uniquely-flavoured bites such as their salted caramel almond cookies and the lychee rose cookies. Offering also halal-certified goodies, they are a great option for those who intend to host or gift to Muslim friends!
3. Annabella Patisserie
Annabella Patisserie is another halal-certified brand that not only serves up the traditional but also has its line of unique CNY products.
From macarons to cupcakes and brownies, Annabella Patisserie offers delights that are not only special but eye-catching with themes such as Disney or the Zodiac blended into them. If you’re looking for something cute and tasty, Annabella Patisserie is worth the checkout.
4. Baker’s Brew
Baker’s Brew offers truly unique modern takes on the traditional goodies that some might find adventurous or borderline unconventional.
From their Hae Bee Hiam to Pineapple Bak Kwa Cookies, their unique range of CNY delights is sure to get heads turning (in a good way of course) and bring flavours that you would not find elsewhere — perfect if you’re looking for something fun to try with your loved ones.
Conclusion
Chinese New Year is more than just a celebration, it’s an opportunity to strengthen relationships, show appreciation, and spread joy through thoughtful gifts.
By understanding the traditions behind CNY gifting and combining them with modern touches, memorable exchanges can be created with your loved ones. From classic traditional treats to modern, unique options, there’s a perfect gift for everyone — and now you will know what they are too.
PS: And on a side note, if you share the same passion as us for sustainability and would like to work together to create CNY goodies that are not only delicious but sustainable, do hit us up with an email (hello@themoonbeam.co) or in our inbox on our social media. We would love to work together towards a common goal.