Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Hay Fat Choi (恭喜發財) to everyone who celebrates Chinese New Year (CNY)!!!
To be honest, I’m not really a big fan of CNY – there’s just too many traditions and customs we have to follow for instance:
- On the 28th day of the last month (初二十八） you’re supposed to clean the whole house in preparation for the new year
- Anonymous Sis even bought us some bamboo leaves that we’re supposed to use when we shower to help us wash the ‘bad’ things away
- On the first day of the new year (大年初一）you’re not supposed to wash your hair or throw away any rubbish because if you do you’ll be getting rid of all the good luck ~
- Then the worse is having to scream out four letter phrases to wish your family and relatives a very prosperous New Year e.g. Bu Bu Gao Sheng (步步高升) which means you hope that person will be promoted in the new year ~ It’s particularly difficult for me when I don’t really know the phrases that well >_<
Hope i break my record this year 
But I do love ONE tradition lol and that would be receiving RED POCKETS or what we call Lay See in Cantonese 
so basically a red envelope with money inside ~ It’s one of my main sources of income!
Another thing I like about CNY is the food! It’s basically a massive Food Galore, where we just spend our time eating all day long! These are some of the dishes we had last night ~
I also adore turnip cakes (蘿白糕）and water chestnut cakes （馬蹄糕) that we eat during CNY ~ my brother-in-law can eat a whole cake by himself!
Love turnip cake ~ Thank Win Win
We also have a slightly strange tradition in my family because we eat Zong Zi (粽子) for CNY, I think it’s because my Dad’s family originated from the Northern side of China and it’s a tradition there. Zong Zi’s are glutinous rice with a filling and then wrapped in bamboo leaves Zong zi’s are usually eaten during Dragon Boat Festival but somehow, it’s been a long standing tradition in my family.
Delicious Zong Zi
The zong zi’s we eat at home are called Jia Hu Zong Zi (嘉湖粽子) these are zong zi’s are amazing, with a piece of pork and salted duck eggs on each side of the zong zi
And it’s so rare that we get to eat these zong zi because we have to order them through this special shop and its quite expensive too $34HKD ($4.30AUD) for one little zong zi ~ but it’s so so so worth it! For those in HK I’ve also included the name and number of the place where you can order these zong zi from.
I was wondering do you celebrate CNY? And if you do what are the traditional and special foods you eat?
Hope we all have a wonderful DRAGON year!
嘉湖 (Jia Hu) Zong Zi Shop
石硤尾南山邨南豐樓104號地下
Ph: 2779 1153
Tagged: Cakes, Chinese, Hong Kong, Traditional
We are hosting a Chinese student at the moment so we had a little Chinese New Year celebration and Chun taught me how to make a delicious Chinese Duck.
I would love to see the spring festival in China.
I saw your pictures on your blog and it’s amazing how the Chinese student can make such authentic dishes
But I’ve seen my grandmother make these dishes from scratch for so many years and she makes it look so easy ~
It’s a totally different atmosphere in China
it’s all about spending time with the family because people in China don’t get many days off work 
Fabulous looking food! Happy New Year to you. GG
Happy Chinese New Year GG
The food is great definitely eating too much!
Oooh, I do want to try turnip cake! (And yes, I do know that it isn’t sweet
)
Hahahha glad you know it’s savoury! It’s DELICIOUS
I’m sure you’re local chinese grocery will sell turnip cake ~ try it if you have the chance to ~
Wah your traditions are so much more elaborate than in my family’s. We don’t really follow all of them these days, except the visiting, don’t clean the house on the day itself, and the red packets.
Btw, it’s definitely very different goodies compared w my CNY gatherings. I lo e jia hu zong zi, btw. I assume this is HK style, with a Northern Chinese twist cos of your dad’s roots. Nice to see, and thanks for sharing!
Really? I never knew my family were so traditional until I read some of the comments and other posts from other bloggers
it’s just become a normal thing at home for us to follow these customs ~
I think its the Northern Chinese influence too ~ it’s weird because most of my friends and Mr Bao are from the Southern part of China, very different customs and food.
Thanks for reading and commenting! I love sharing with you guys my experience ~ HAPPY CNY!
Hmmm, a celebration that starts with housework…I see what you mean…
CNY certainly redeems itself though. Happy New Year!
Hello Tenille
Yes lots of house work sigh…but I guess it gives me an excuse to HAVE to clean lol
Happy CNY to you too
Happy Chinese New Year! Wow look at all that food…. I wish I could have some too
Great informative post on the customs and traditions, it’s especially nice to read about your family traditions.
Happy CNY Ros
there’s so much food lol too much really I’ve been eating since 10am and it didn’t stop till 10pm! It’s crazy hahaha that’s why i’m gaining so much weight 
I’m glad you enjoyed reading about the customs and our family traditions hehe do your parents have any traditions during CNY?
Happy Chinese New Year!
I tell you, growing up Chinese in Sydney was a minefield as I felt terribly uninitiated with customs, traditions as well as what to avoid doing! Being told off by my Hong Kong born-and-bred mother was the norm and I lived in fear of bringing bad luck to the family haha.
But, as you said, there’s the upside of lei-see and food and gatherings, so it’s all good =)
I know exactly HOW YOU FEEL! Oh my gosh! I feel so relieved that I’m not the only one
because my parents are sometimes embarrassed of me cause i’m not good with the customs and what to say and what not to say. And some of their friends understand me as being ‘rude’ but really I just don’t know what to say or do…sighhh
But the food and lay see makes it for it
Hope you had a lovely day anywayz!
Enjoy yourself my dear
I’m off to say po po kou seng and man shu seng yu to my grandparents 
LAI SEE LAI SEEE!!!
Thanks I-hua
I managed to enjoy myself especially with my cute niece and nephew hehe ~ hope you got lots of Lai see!!! I’ve got quite a few today hope they keep coming 
Happy new year Daisy! Kung hei fat choy! The food you had looks awesome!
Thanks Julie
Kung Hei Fat Choy to you too and I hope you have a wonderful Dragon 
the food was amazing continues tmr YAY!
The food all looks fab. Hope you get lots of red envelopes this year – Happy CNY!
Thanks the red packets are coming in a little slow this year HAHAHA really hope it never stops hehe the food is great going to continue tomorrow ~
Happy CNY!!! Look at all that food – there’s certainly reason to celebrate
Happy CNY Adrian
the food and the lay see is the best bit of CNY hehe
Hehe u had no idea about some of those traditions although I do think red packets are the coolest! So sad I don’t get them anymore
Hahaha the traditions drive me nuts
but the red packets are the best 
I told Mr Bao we’re not getting married anytime soon cuz i want to keep receiving the red packets hahhaa
Love Zong Zi, but not have any for CNY in my family. Seems that we don’t really celebrate the big day if without a turnip cake. :p
I think it’s our family tradition with the zong zi
and i agree without turnip cake it wouldn’t really be Chinese New Year ~ Looking forward to eating more tomorrow I’ve had it 5 days in a row and its still going lol
I want to celebrate Chinese New Year! I just got back from two weeks in Thailand and they had all kinds of CNY sweets that I snarfed my face with!
Happy New Year!
Thanks for the Comment and Happy New Year too
What kind of CNY sweets did they have? I’m so interested in seeing what other people from different cultures eat during CNY ~
Such a delicious meal! The closest I got to celebrating Chinese New Year was having Yum Cha with a Chinese girl from my work on Monday. Though I was a bit sad as the chicken feet at the restaurant we went to weren’t so good:(
It was a very nice meal but i’m so full now hahaha been eating massive chinese meals for the past 5 day
good effort will celebrating Chinese New Year. A shame the chicken feet weren’t great…I’m really impressed a lot of my friends freak out when I eat chicken feet ~
Happy CNY to you, DaisY!!! and loving your NYC posts!
Thanks Cat
hope u had a lovely CNY! I’ve got some more posts coming ~
All the food looks delicious, Curious about turnip cake and Zong Zi
You can find turnip cake and zong zi at most yum cha places
are you in Melbourne? I can recommend a place where they have both these things ~
Yay! Happy CNY! This time last year we were in HK celebrating with ben’s family. quite special. We didn’t do anything ourselves back here in aus this year as it’s a v busy time, but in the future I’d love to. Lots of inspiration in this beautiful post, that’s for sure!
Heidi xo
Thanks Heidi for the comment
Is Ben chinese too?
Celebrating Chinese New Year is so important here for Hong Kong people and most chinese ~
I’m so glad you found inspiration from my post
A shame you didn’t celebrate it this year, maybe next year ~
That looks delicious!
Very delicious indeed
thank for visiting my blog!
Happy New Year Daisy! I totally wish that I could spend CNY in Asia. We’re missing the whole big spirit here… It seems like you had lots of great food! Envious~~!
Happy New Year Nami
Its definitely a different atmosphere celebrating Chinese New Year in Asia ~ the food is great but hahaha I think i’m ready to have some Western food ~
Happy New Year Daisy! Looks like you’re having a fab time over in HK, surely no better place to celebrate CNY than in busy, bustling, traditional yet modern Honkers!