Ring in the Year of the Dog by decorating your home for Chinese New Year. Whether you’re living in a rented Hong Kong apartment or in your own property, these easy decorations will help you invite luck, prosperity and blessings into your Hong Kong home in no time:
Touches of Red
Traditionally believed to bring good luck, the colour red may be difficult to work into your home if you shy away from loud colours. If you’re not one for decorating with red Chinese ornaments, try incorporating touches of the colour in your home for a similar effect—think red lacquer trays, cushion covers, throws, artwork and appliances. These Hong Kong homes may inspire you:
One bed, one bath apartment with large terrace in Causeway Bay
“福” Character Paper Cutting
These works of art serve a dual purpose: they look beautiful on windows and glass surfaces, and are said to attract good fortune, too.
“Fai Chun”
Hang “fai chun”, or auspicious, four-character sayings around your home to express hope and happiness for the coming year. Ask a reliable friend who can read Chinese to help you select the ones that best represent your wishes. Here are eight common ones:
| Chinese | English translation |
| 恭喜發財 | Wishing you luck and prosperity |
| 身體健康 | Wishing you good health |
| 出入平安 | May you stay safe wherever you go |
| 財源廣進 | May wealth enter your life |
| 年年有餘 | May you enjoy abundance every year |
| 新年進步 | May the New Year bring improvements to your life |
| 萬事如意 | May everything go as planned |
| 心想事成 | May all your wishes come true |
Chinese Knots
Tie different types of Chinese knots to your window grilles, door knobs and gates to invite luck, success, love (and more) into your home.
Firecrackers
Burning firecrackers may be illegal, but that shouldn’t stop you from hanging them as ornaments. The sound they make is believed to lift festive spirits and bring good luck.
Lanterns
Add a romantic touch to your terrace with lanterns, which also symbolise happy family gatherings, during the Lunar New Year. Put them away after the new year celebrations and reuse them during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Daffodils and Other Plants
Also known as the narcissus, daffodils are said to bring prosperity, purity and luck to your household. Make sure your home is of the right temperature: if it’s too cold (around 12 to 15°C), it could take up to 40 days to bloom. So, if you want your home to look and smell good just in time for the new year, try to keep temperatures at around 18 to 20°C, and your plant should bloom in less than four weeks.
Other Chinese New Year favourites include peach blossoms for love, gladiolus and lilies for a smooth-sailing life, chrysanthemums for fortune and longevity, bamboo for luck, peace and prosperity, Salix argyracea for prosperity, tree peonies for fulfilment, prosperity and luck, and nipple fruit for a blessed family.
Salix argyracea
Nipple fruit
Candy Box
Wish your loved ones blessings and sweet success by treating them to the different sweets and snacks in your candy box.
Traditionally, candy boxes should contain eight kinds of snacks, namely, candied lotus root, candied lotus seeds, candied coconut strips, candied coconut chunks, candied winter melon, candied carrots, candied water chestnut and candied mandarin. But, nowadays, people tend to fill their candy boxes with their loved one’s favourites, ranging from dried watermelon seeds and chocolate gold coins to bite-sized chocolate bars and wasabi peas. It’s the thought that counts, right?
Ingots
Place a few of these around your home to manifest wealth and prosperity. If you enjoy being more practical, consider purchasing a candy box in the shape of an ingot.
Chinese Zodiac Animal
If the Chinese zodiac animal of the year isn’t a mythical beast like the Dragon, a wild animal like the Tiger, or a large animal like the Pig, you may be tempted to purchase it to bring good luck to your home. However, think carefully about your decision as these animals have been abandoned in large numbers after their respective years pass. Instead of purchasing or adopting a dog on a whim this year, figurines, toys and memorabilia inspired by dogs could be responsible luck-bringing alternatives.
We hope you take pleasure in your new home as much as we enjoyed helping you find it. Subscribe to our newsletter for more tips on enhancing your living space.
