In Chinese culture, everything associated with the Chinese New Year’s Day should represent good fortune. To single people good fortune may mean love and romance. Good fortune may mean good grades to students, children for families, jobs for the unemployed and health for the sick.
For the Chinese Springbok rugby supporter, good fortune means… er…. mmmmm…. let me think……
OK we don’t need good fortune, we already have all the trophies! (Our sponsors’ logos aren’t gold for nothing!)
In Hong Kong, as far as Bok Supporters go, you don’t get bigger than Eugene Wong! (Pic: Mike Jansen)
But once again, I digress…
For this reason, Chinese people have many traditions and symbols to attracts good fortune.
One of these are candies (sweets) presented in circular candy trays. The symbolism associated with this are:
Candies: gold or orange colour for wealth & happiness, circular for togetherness
Tray: red colour for happiness, circular for togetherness
(My son would like to add that it has to be DEEP as well, to hold lots of candies!)
My kids enjoy the Chinese New Year holidays, not only for the break from school, but also for the fact that shopping malls, offices, etc. would have these circular candy trays filled with sweets of all shapes and sizes! The lobby of our apartment building has one such tray and they’ve been frequent visitors.
Yesterday my son was particularly excited because he found a “South African” chocolate in it. On closer inspection we noticed that the circular chocolates (he had lots!) were in fact meant to represent South African Kruger Rands! Of course it all make sense: it’s sweet (chocolate), circular (togetherness) and has a gold colour (wealth).
(My boy didn’t appreciate the on-site history lesson he got. His father grew up with Apartheid education so I know my Paul Kruger history. I also live in Hong Kong so I know a wee bit about the economics of buying and selling gold. Still he didn’t like being sat down for a lesson during the holidays nogal!)
It also makes more sense for the fact that it is ‘from’ South Africa. As I told you in a previous post, one of the first things Chinese people think of when I tell them where I’m from is: GOLD!
Hello Oom Paul! Paul Kruger on the “Kruger Rand” (Pic:Mike Jansen)
Lai see
Another Chinese New Year tradition is the giving of monetary gifts inside lai see or red envelopes. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jou has a tradition of handing out lai see to his supporters over the New Year holidays. However, instead of giving real money, he fills the envelopes with chocolate ‘gold coins’ !
Red envelopes are often decorated in gold print, this one has Tigers printed as well (Pic: Mike Jansen)
