Chinese New Year in Bangkok
Chinese New Year brings one of the most exhilarating celebrations to Yaowaraj, which is officially the Chinatown of Bangkok. The entire length of street comes to life with crowds of worshippers, exploding firecrackers, dragon dancers, and families of Chinese descent who gather to partake in the street fanfare as well as enjoy sumptuous Chinese banquets. In other parts of Bangkok Chinese restaurants and shopping malls roll out special Chinese New Year promotions, which range from discounts on goods and services to free feng shui advice for their customers. In Thailand, the event usually takes place around January or February of each year. The exact dates are calculated from the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
Legend has it that on the night of New Year’s Eve a mythical beast called the ‘Nien’ would come to town and ravage people’s homes. To prevent this the town’s residents put food on their doors, set off firecrackers and as they discovered later, put on red attires as well as decorated their homes with many red items.
Although not a public holiday in Thailand, members of Bangkok Chinese communities usually take at least one day off from work and engage themselves in various New Year activities. New Year’s Eve is the time to pray to the gods and pay respect to the ancestors. This is when the whole family enjoys a sumptuous Chinese banquet together at home. On the night of New Year’s Eve adults will hand red envelopes called ‘ang-pao’ with pocket money inside, to their children as a New Year gift. On New year’s Day, it’is time to rest and do absolutely nothing. Most people start visiting their extended families and relatives in order to exchange a few oranges as a way to wish them a Happy New Year.
Since then, Chinese New Year has become one of the most exhilarating times filled with dynamic sights and sounds. Shop and home owners of Chinese descent decorate their places with red paper lantern, Chinese calligraphy banners, and posters. The whole Bangkok Chinatown turns red literally from beginning to end. Street fanfares and cultural festivities, such as the dragon parades, acrobatic dances and firecrackers, are the highlights not to be missed.
Source - Asiaweb