It's nearly Chinese New Year and we are delighted to be ushering in luck, health and prosperity in the Year of the Tiger. Astrologers say the tiger denotes strength, vitality and growth — qualities that will hopefully stand us in good stead as we look to make big changes. It is meant to be a year of risk-taking and adventure and we’ll be finding enthusiasm again, both for ourselves and for others. Everyone is fired up, generosity is at an all-time high and social progress feels possible again. Hooray! Sounds a promising year for all! 

And I know you'll be keen to find out what will bring us luck during the year of the Tiger! Lucky colours are green and blue - our coloured zodiac tiger decoration fits the bill for this perfectly! Also look out for your lucky number of 1, 3 and 7 (but steer clear of white and avoid numbers 4 and 9!)

Sassy Mama put together a fantastic Beginner's Guide to Chinese New Year in Hong Kong  - everything you need to know about the festival including the popular customs and traditions surrounding this celebration. They've also very helpfully created a guide outlining the etiquette behind the Lai See packets and the giving and receiving of the red envelopes (LRP can help you out with these with their stylish range of Lai See packets). If you are  new to Hong Kong this is a must read! 

Time Out have shared their guide to Chinese New Year flowers and fruits - they give us the lowdown on all the flowers and fruits that are needed to usher in some good fortune. Orchids are definitely in abundance and oranges and tangerines will brighten up any house bringing good luck to those who have them.  

Localiiz has put together 8 "lucky" Chinese New Year dishes you need to try including:

Sweet Fried Dumplings

Turnip Cake

Whole Steamed Fish

Glutinous Rice Balls

Water chestnut Cake

Longevity Noodles

Big Bowl Feast and 

Chinese New Year Cake

And finally, Honeycombers has very helpfully created a guide to some of the best Chinese New Year menus in Hong Kong in 2022.