Chinese New Year(春节 (Chūnjié)) in 🇸🇬 Singapore

Chinese New Year is the most widely celebrated festival in Singapore, observed by the ethnic Chinese majority (about 75 percent of the population) and embraced by the broader multi-ethnic society. The two-day public holiday is preceded by weeks of preparation: thorough house cleaning, shopping for new clothes (especially in red), and stocking up on bak kwa (barbecued pork jerky), pineapple tarts, and love letters (kueh kapit).

The lo hei (yusheng toss) is Singapore's signature Chinese New Year ritual. Diners gather around a platter of raw fish salad and toss the ingredients high into the air with chopsticks while shouting auspicious phrases. The higher the toss, the greater the prosperity. This communal, boisterous tradition is unique to Singapore and Malaysia.

Chinatown is transformed with elaborate light-up decorations and a massive street bazaar selling everything from mandarin oranges to dragon beard candy. The Chingay Parade, Asia's largest street performance and float parade, features thousands of performers in a kaleidoscope of colours.

Visiting (bai nian) is central to Singapore's celebration. Married couples give hongbao (red envelopes) when visiting, and mandarin oranges are exchanged in pairs as symbols of gold and good fortune. The reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, whether a home-cooked steamboat (hotpot) or a restaurant banquet, is the most important family gathering of the year.

The most important traditional Chinese festival marking the beginning of the lunar new year, celebrated with family reunions, red envelopes, fireworks, dragon dances, and elaborate feasts.