Happy Chinese New Year everyone!
First off shall we do proper greetings? In Mandarin (mainland China) the greeting is 新年快乐 pronounced Xin nian kuai le. In Cantonese (HK, Malay islands, Hakka Chinese Diaspora) the greeting is 吉利說話 pronounced Gong Xi Fa Chai. Since we lived in Shanghai for 4 years we go with Xin nian kuai le!
Lunar Calendar
I know that for many of us who live outside of Asia, actually don’t know this… There is a lunar calendar that is based on monthly moon cycles. It’s dates are always changing unlike our calendar that revolves around the sun cycles. However most Far East Asian nationalities do celebrate Lunar New Year.
Koreans we also have some similar traditions and lunar calendar is quite important. For example often older generations celebrate their lunar birthday, which by the way the date also changes every year… so inevitably there’s an argument because husbands will always manage to forget.
12 Animal Signs
There are 12 animal signs, this is the year of the ox and I hope that the year of the ox will be better than the year of the rat. Many Chinese believe your animal sign will determine so many things, such as your personality and destiny. Since some signs are considered extremely lucky, you can see many parents actually plan to have their child for a certain sign. My daughter is a dragon, we didn’t plan it but it’s considered the most prized of all animal signs. Although usually the rat sign is considered quite good, this past year’s events has everyone looking forward to it leaving.
What we wear
Living in China we were exposed to many new year related customs and distinctive clothing. So I will go my favourite dress which is the Qipao 旗袍 (pronounced CHI- POW, in Cantonese you say cheongsam) and that’s what my daughter and her friend are wearing in the photos. The origins of the qipao are from super cool 1920’s Shanghai.
Modern Garment
Once China removed it’s emperor, the cosmopolitan ladies of Shanghai started liberating themselves from traditional clothing. They adapted the qipao dress from androgynous men’s garment called the changpao. This modern dress was a close cut garment with frog button enclosures at the neck and some small slits on the side so that the wearer can easily move.
Now what’s really funny is I wore a qipao from Pearl River Mart in Soho for my high school prom, yes at the Greenwich Hyatt. I don’t think cultural appropriation was a thing back then. I think I actually got the idea from Madonna and definitely from the movie The Joy Luck Club (love that movie).
chou chou chic
So let’s talk about the qipao, I’d have had my daughter wear these any time of the year. In Shanghai, we have this amazing brand called Chou Chou Chic that she and her friends modeled for called Chou Chou Chic. This company uses many Liberty of London fabrics and their qipaos are dainty, cotton and chic.
red is auspicious
When we lived in China during Chinese New Year holiday, she would wear red. Red is the color of luck in China. Some red clothing depicted from China I find really tacky. I do think in the past 5 years there have been changes in taste with more refinement. I don’t see as garish fabrics and bright red that many see outside of China. Frankly I feel like that’s more for tourists, and looks more like a costume.
find your style
These days qipaos come long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless, short, long, padded and in all different kinds of fabrics. You can choose embroidery or prints as great ways to personalize your look. For ladies, you can go to any tailor or fabric market to make one to fit your style and body perfectly. I just think that they look so festive and pretty, and done right also very elegant. If you ever go to Shanghai, I send you to my tailor.
So Happy Chinese New Year and time to break out your qipao!