Starting February 3 most businesses in China will be closed to enable people to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. The Chinese New Year is a two weeks long festival which is celebrated across the world. Fireworks in Singapore and Hong Kong marked the launch of the festival while parades and costume displays are being held in places as diverse as Brazil, New York, San Francisco and Sydney.
Chinese clean their homes in a symbolic effort to remove all evil from their homes and pray for health, wealth and prosperity. On the evening before the Chinese New Year, families gather together for a lavish reunion dinner. The following morning, children are usually given money in red envelopes.
The traditional greeting for the Chinese New Year is: “Kung Hii Fatt Choi,” which means “Congratulations and be prosperous.”
