6 Best Chinese New Year Gift Ideas To Celebrate The Year Of The Rabbit

One of the most, if not the most, significant holidays in most Asian cultures is Chinese New Year. It is a time when families all go back to their hometowns to celebrate for a week, and businesses and schools close for the long holidays.

Once back in their hometowns, and before the celebrations can begin, houses are cleaned to eliminate bad luck and memories before the new year. New clothes are ordered to signify a new beginning, hoping the new year will bring new luck and fortune.

Do you give gifts during Chinese New Year? Yes! Showing up empty-handed during house visits is rude to be frank. And, unlike birthdays or Christmas gifts, Lunar New Year presents are all about bringing prosperity and good fortune, which is why you need to be considerate about the colours and numbers associated with your gift. 

What Kind Of Gifts Are Appropriate For CNY?

Giving gifts at the beginning of the new year expresses love and respect since each gift expresses your wish for your loved ones to have a year filled with luck, plenty of money, and happiness. And the gifts vary according to the individual. It can be as lavish as a gift basket or as simple as a box of cookies. 

But you must remember that bringing at least two mandarin oranges for every house visit is veryimportant, even if you don’t have other gifts.This is because the Chinese word for mandarin,kam, has a similar sound to the word for "gold." Hence, it is believed that having mandarin oranges in your home at the start of the year will bring you wealth.

Here are our suggestions for the best Chinese New Year gifts to bring fortune and prosperity to your loved ones.

Traditional Chinese New Year Gifts

Money or Ang Pau

The "lucky red packet" symbol is the most well-known Lunar New Year. Giving money has been an extreme significance to the Chinese community until today, although nowadays, it comes in the form of red packets known as ang paus. "Gong Xi Fài, Hóng Bóná Lái!" is the customary greeting for those receiving, and vocal blessings for wealth, good fortune, and other things are the standard responses for those who are giving.

These ang paus are given in traditionally vibrant red envelopes to children, single adults, and from adults to their elderly parents. This gift is intended to express gratitude and best wishes to the recipient.

Mandarin Oranges orKam

Mandarin oranges have long been known as a traditional sign of luck. The main reason is that the mandarin pronunciation of the word "orange" sounds very similar to the word "wealth." The orange colour represents "gold," making it an auspicious fruit.

Exchanging mandarin oranges signifies respect and custom when visiting someone's home during Chinese New Year. Offering mandarin oranges to loved ones and friends is a symbolic gesture to wish them good fortune and happiness. You are basically giving them "wealth”. Good luck makes it an essential decorative piece in all settings, including homes and workplaces.

Tea

Putting together the perfect personal tea mix and delivering it as a gift to your family shows thoughtfulness. This is because tea unites people of all ages and brings families and friends together. Tea etiquette is a symbolic custom that ushers in the new year, a new spring, to start things afresh and a chance for people to forget about what has happened in the past.

Remember to give them loose tea instead of tea in bags, and purchase two cartons of tea leaves, which traditionally need to be wrapped in red and gold.

Non-Traditional CNY Gift Ideas

Flower Bouquet Gift Hamper

Gift hampers might not be the traditional CNY gift, but it makes for better-looking ones! It is also highly convenient when you’re overseas and can’t come back for the new year. You can still show your love and appreciation to your family by ordering a gift bundle and shipping it to them. 

So with CNY coming up soon, be sure to check out Bloomeroo’s wide selection of gift bundles with same-day delivery across Australia! You can never go wrong with a gift hamper, honestly.

Box Of Chocolates

Who doesn’t love receiving a box of chocolates? Food is a massive part of Chinese culture, and there are a lot of symbolic meanings behind it. For Chinese people, eating plays a significant role in daily life. Chinese people not only like to eat but also think eating well may improve relationships and foster closer family ties. 

And it doesn’t have to stop at a box of chocolates. Some other food gifts that are welcomed by the older folks are Abalone (good fortune), apples (wisdom & peace), jujube (wealth, prosperity & fertility), and pineapple tarts (wealth, luck & excellent fortune). Amongst many other things.

Alcohol

Alcohol isalways a welcomed gift during Chinese New Year, and you can never go wrong by bringing two bottles of your friends or family's favourite poison. And honestly, no CNY reunion dinner is complete without alcohol! 

Two of everything is customary in the Chinese New Year gift-giving tradition. So whatever gift you think of bringing to your next reunion gathering or house visit, make sure it is in the form of two gifts. And yes, that means two bottles of alcohol should you choose to bring it.