Chinese New Year Festival

Chinese New Year Festival is the most important and colorful Chinese festival, and it is celebrated by the majority of the local population, with stores, offices, and industries shutting down for the holiday. Celebration in Macau is unlike anyplace else in China, because of its unique combination of Chinese and Portuguese cultural elements. There are numerous festivities commemorating the New Year throughout the course of 10 days. Long dragons and lions dance in the streets, masses go to temples, lanterns and flowers adorn the streets, and entertainment abounds in the city's most important squares. Chinese New Year Festival is also a practice for people to greet each other with two linked hands closed, saying "Kung Hei Fat Choi," and offering "Lai Si" (red pockets) holding money as a means to wish friends and relatives good luck and success throughout the year.

The Lantern Festival takes place on the 15th day of the First Moon, which is also known as Valentine's Day in Chinese culture. The celebrations continue into the night, with colorful lanterns strewn about. For homophonic reasons, small balls of sticky rice are produced as dessert, symbolizing the "ribbon of friendship," "family reunion," or "good luck".

Date: January/ February