#LUNAR NEW YEAR LANTERNS PLUS#

In Cantonese, the kumquat is called gam gat sue. People liked the alternative meaning so much that they started fixing their fu decorations upside down to 'invoke' a 'pouring out' of blessings. So '你们的福倒了' could be understood as ‘Your fu (blessing) has been poured out’. 倒 (dao /daoww/) means 'to invert', but also means 'to pour out'. On the first day of Chinese New Year, their first guest came to visit, and saw the upside-down 福, and kindly shouted to them: '你们的福倒了!' ('Your fu is upside down!'). One Chinese New Year's day (the exact year is not known now), a family attached their 福 ( fu) upside down as a careless mistake. This interesting tradition may have come from an innocent mistake. So by upturning the character implies they're 'pouring out' the jar of good fortune on those coming through the door! The Legend of the Upside-Down Fu The right side of the character was originally a pictogram for a jar. Fu means 'good fortune', and posting the character upside down means they want the 'good fortune' to 'pour out' on them. The fu characters are deliberately inverted.

#LUNAR NEW YEAR LANTERNS PLUS#

What: A selection of traditional and contemporary performances, such as lion dancers and martial arts displays, plus KPOP DJs and drag queens.Similar to New Year couplets, and sometimes as paper cuttings, is the pasting of big diamonds (squares at 45°) of paper calligraphy with the inverted Chinese character 福 (fú /foo/) on or over doors. Theatrical, comedy and drumming performancesįirecrackers will kick off at 8pm.Where: Celebrations will take place in the Brunswick Street Mall, Bakery Lane and the Chinatown Mall. If you're keen for some spark, head back to Sunnybank on February 4 for fireworks at 8pm. Where: Main event gets underway at the Sunnybank Plaza Rooftop Car Park, 358 Mains Road. It's not just the decorations that require thorough planning.Ī days-long feast is also carefully curated.įor several days - starting on their New Year's Eve - people indulge in food with symbolic meaning, either based on appearance or word association.ĭumplings and spring rolls, for instance, represent wealth because they are thought to resemble silver ingots and gold bars.īrisAsia Festival is set for a show-stopping return, bringing with it a slew of Lunar New Year festivities ( Supplied: BrisAsia Festival) Sunnybank Plaza The animals of the Chinese zodiac symbolise a deep connection with that nation’s ancient cultural heritage, each one holding a unique place in Chinese history, mythology and customs. Rat, ox/buffalo, tiger, rabbit/cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. There are 12 animals following a repeating, 12-year cycle and they go by the following order: While customs, rituals and the length of celebrations vary, one thing stays true: honouring a fresh start. Koreans and Vietnamese also revel in new year festivities as they celebrate Seollal and Tết, respectively. To Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese and those living in Hong Kong, the year is the Year of the Rabbit. To the Vietnamese, for example, this Lunar New Year will welcome the Year of the Cat.

Although some traditions are shared, others are unique to each country's cultural identity. Lunar New Year is celebrated in many other Asian countries, including Vietnam, the Koreas, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. ( Supplied: Canterbury-Bankstown Council) Canterbury-Bankstown is one of the few councils representing the cat in its celebrations.

Lunar new year lanterns