Chinese New Year - the week before

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Chinese New Year 2010 is officially, I believe, Feb 14/15 Sunday/Monday.  Can someone advise if everything will be operating normally the week before in Malaysia - companies, banks, government offices - or will there be a big build-up the week before?

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hi,

For CNY everything operates up to the day before the New Year. Chinese re-union dinner is on the 13th February.

After the 13th all the Chinese businesses etc. will be closed. So will the banks as it's a public holiday.

The amount of time that businesses stay closed varies depending on the need to get back to work, or nothing else to do Sometimes a business will open on the 2nd day of CNY just for a few hours in order to be open properly on the 3rd day. Many businesses stay closed for a week. Some more.

This info is pretty general and based on my own observations (I'm usually in Singapore for CNY). I think that there are quite a few regional, and local, variations that seem to depend on dialect groups, Hokien, Cantonese, Teochew. I'm not sure.

Perhaps other members have their own observations and information to post.

I've been told many times not to sweep up on the first day of CNY as it sweeps away any good luck. I've never been going to anyway. It's also advisable to keep your front door open to allow good luck to enter.

Married folks give ang pow to unmarried relatives in a red (lucky) packet. Always 2 notes, and unused, hence the Singapore yearly run on new, fresh S$2 notes prior to CNY.

If you can't get, or forget to get, new notes then pick out the hardly used ones and iron them. 

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Hi,

Re Married folks give ang pow to unmarried relatives in a red (lucky) packet. Always 2 notes, and unused, hence the Singapore yearly run on new, fresh S$2 notes prior to CNY.

How much would you give to 2 younge children who are just friends..haven't done this before so l need some advice.

Thanks 

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Thanks Scott.  That was my observation too in Singapore - maybe the day before, shops and businesses would be closed but we found that some businesses would stay closed for up to 2 weeks once CNY had got started.

If anyone's got any observations re KL and Penang, if it's the same drill, would be interested to know - cheers.

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Always 2 notes, and unused, hence the Singapore yearly run on new, fresh S$2 notes prior to CNY.

If you can't get, or forget to get, new notes then pick out the hardly used ones and iron them. 

And what about the oranges - usually 2 (?), always in 2s but never 4.

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hi,

It's 2 mandarin oranges. In Chinese, the word 'orange' sounds like 'Ji', which means 'good luck'. So a couple of oranges is sending best wishes for the new year.

Why 2? Hmmmmm? It's the custom in Singapore but I don't know about anywhere else. Maybe it's easier to handle 2 oranges and it looks like a gift, especially in the very decorative and attractive small CNY paper bags. I guess if you give 4 or 6 it looks like you've just been to the supermarket.

Usually the visitor gives 2 oranges and when leaving gets 2 in return. It's for luck, and if the 2 that you get are bigger and better than the 2 you gave then it works. 

DGH : you can extend the generosity to give ang pow to friends, neighbours etc. All kids will eagerly accept them. Then they go off and secretly count it all up. Wonderful.

I once hosted a kids CNY party for family and neighbours. I created a 4' ang pow tree with red packets dangling from the branches. We played games and the winners (the parents and myself ensured that every kid won something) were allowed to choose and pick a red packet. Boy did these kids stare at the packets before choosing. Great fun for all.

I've just been told that 4 notes is also Ok. But I'm sure that you won't get any complaints from a single RM50.

A good compromise is 2 x RM10 notes as these notes are red in colour.

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I'm a bit fuzzy on the Chinese number thing but I was told (in Singapore) that in pairs are better than odd numbers.  4 sounds like Death in Chinese I've been told, so never 4.  8 is the best number, and 6 is quite good also.  It might be a Hokkien thing but maybe someone Chinese can explain better. 

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It is doesn't matter 2,4,6 or 8 notes in the red packet. The biggest notes will be the best. According to the chinese custom, you go visit the relatives in cny you give them oranges and you will get back 2 or more, that means you give you recieve.

Clean and sweep the floor on the cny eve,so that sweep away all unlucky things and welcome the new and lucky ones on the cny day. Also the old people will not allow the young one to wash their hair on cny day!


Shirley

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The biggest notes will be the best.

Absolutely 

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Gone are the days when I used to receive RM1.10 in a red packet. Don't know the significance of the 10 sen though.

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Gone are the days when I used to receive RM1.10 in a red packet. Don't know the significance of the 10 sen though.

As I know the 10cents is symbolised that have good future and always have more.this is what the old people used to say.