There are lots of different Chinese New Year greetings, but the most important one to know is<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u65b0\u5e74\u5feb\u4e50<\/a> (x\u012bn ni\u00e1n ku\u00e0i l\u00e8) which means Happy New Year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also say \u5c81\u5c81\u5e73\u5b89<\/a> (su\u00ec su\u00ec p\u00edng \u0101n), which is a greeting that means \u201cMay you have peace year after year\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below are some of the most important and interesting words to learn for this particular Chinese holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chinese New Year has many different names, including \u8fc7\u5e74<\/a> (gu\u00f2 ni\u00e1n) and \u6625\u8282<\/a> (ch\u016bn ji\u00e9). In fact, it is only in the west that we refer to the festival as \u2018Chinese New Year\u2019, whilst in China, it is most commonly referred to as \u2018Spring Festival\u2019 or \u6625\u8282. The seal character for \u6625 signifies the growth of vegetation stimulated by the sun. The sun can still be seen in the modern-day character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u526a\u7eb8, literally meaning \u2018cut paper\u2019 is a common pastime at Chinese New Year. These red cutouts are often used to decorate windows and doors and are also known as \u7a97\u82b1<\/a> (chu\u0101ng hu\u0101) or \u2018window flower\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paper lanterns, or \u2018lantings\u2019 as was my chosen name for them as a child, are used as decoration in many Asian festivals, especially during the Lantern Festival \u5143\u5bb5\u8282<\/a>, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year. The lanterns can sometimes be made of silk and decorated with dragons<\/a> or other icons associated with the festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u606d\u559c\u53d1\u8d22 is a popular greeting during Chinese New Year to offer up prosperity and luck for the coming year. It can be translated to something like \u2018May you have a prosperous New Year!\u2019. \u606d\u559c <\/a>(g\u014dng x\u01d0) is often used to express \u2018greetings\u2019 or \u2018congratulations\u2019 in Chinese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This sounds a bit odd, but this congee (\u7ca5<\/a>) is a porridge eaten on the 8th day of the 12 month of the lunar calendar or La Ba Festival. It is mostly made up of rice, beans, dried fruit, tofu, potato, meat and vegetables. There are several legends attached the history of the La ba congee, one includes the commemoration of \u5cb3\u98de<\/a> (yu\u00e8 f\u0113i) Yue Fei, a hero of Chinese culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u538b\u5c81\u94b1<\/a> (y\u0101 su\u00ec qi\u00e1n) is money that is given specifically to children at new year. Originally, \u538b\u5c81\u94b1 was used to suppress and expel evil (\u538b\u795f\u9a71\u90aa<\/a> (y\u0101 su\u00ec q\u016b xi\u00e9), \u5c81<\/a> (su\u00ec) has the same pinyin as \u795f<\/a> (su\u00ec)), because people believed that children were easily hurt by evil things. It was thought that \u538b\u5c81\u94b1 would help the child pass the year in good health and safety. In Chinese history, some \u538b\u5c81\u94b1 was given to elders by people their junior, but in this instance the character \u5c81<\/a> means age, and it is to hope the elder will live for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u4e07\u4e8b\u5982\u610f<\/a> meaning to \u2018have all one’s wishes\u2019, is a popular Chinese proverb, or Chengyu<\/a> around this time of year. \u4e07<\/a> usually means ten thousand, but in this case, it just means \u2018a great number\u2019, \u4e8b<\/a> is the character for thing or item whilst \u5982\u610f<\/a> means \u2018according to one\u2019s wishes\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lantern festival is the final day of the Chinese spring festival. The fifteenth day of the lunar calendar is a full moon and the time to send off coloured lanterns into the sky. In the past, this would have been the day when young single people were meant to find love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rice balls are eaten on Lantern Festival and are made from glutinous rice. Inside the balls is usually red bean paste. The balls symbolise the togetherness of the family during this time and bring about luck and fortune in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Literally translated as \u2018moving horse lamp\u2019, this is a carousel lantern that depicts images of horses. When it was first created, people would draw different military officers riding the horse on the different surfaces of the lantern. When it rotated, it would look as though the military officers were chasing each other on horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have any comments, questions, or additional Chinese New Year greetings you’d like to share with us, feel free to post them below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/a>Other Chinese New Year Greetings & Vocabulary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. \u6625\u8282<\/a> (ch\u016bn ji\u00e9): Spring Festival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>2. \u526a\u7eb8<\/a> (ji\u01cen zh\u01d0): Paper Cutting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Chinese](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writtenchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Chinese-New-Year-Greetings-\u526a\u7eb8-Paper-Cutting-e1454138252268.png?resize=399%2C399&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>3. \u706f\u7b3c<\/a> (d\u0113ng l\u00f3ng): Lanterns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Chinese](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writtenchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Chinese-New-Year-Greetings-\u706f\u7b3c-Lanterns-e1454138312342.png?resize=399%2C399&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>4. \u606d\u559c\u53d1\u8d22<\/a> (g\u014dng x\u01d0 f\u0101 c\u00e1i): \u201cHave a Prosperous New Year\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>5. \u814a\u516b\u7ca5<\/a> (l\u00e0 b\u0101 zh\u014du): Laba Congee<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"a649965b-c0fd-437f-8b3d-ac0ee7e29666_LaBaFestivalRecipe400\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writtenchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/a649965b-c0fd-437f-8b3d-ac0ee7e29666_LaBaFestivalRecipe400-e1454138367173.png?resize=399%2C406&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>6. \u538b\u5c81\u94b1<\/a> (y\u0101 su\u00ec qi\u00e1n): New Year Money<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Chinese](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writtenchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Chinese-New-Year-Greetings-\u538b\u5c81\u94b1-Money-e1454138409850.png?resize=399%2C399&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>7. \u4e07\u4e8b\u5982\u610f<\/a> w\u00e0n sh\u00ec r\u00fa y\u00ec: Hope Your Wishes Come True<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>8. \u5143\u5bb5\u8282<\/a> (yu\u00e1n xi\u0101o ji\u00e9): Lantern Festival<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>9. \u6c64\u5706<\/a> (t\u0101ng yu\u00e1n): Rice Balls<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Chinese](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writtenchinese.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Chinese-New-Year-Greetings-\u6c64\u5706-Rice-Balls-e1454138523895.png?resize=399%2C399&ssl=1\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a>10. \u8d70\u9a6c\u706f<\/a> (z\u01d2u m\u01ce d\u0113ng): Carousel Lantern<\/h2>\n\n\n\n