Welcome to the Cashback Year of the Rat!
Chinese New Year is nearly upon us, the official start dates being set this year as January 25th 2020 to February 4th 2020. We have put together a little guide on what small things you might be able to do to join in the festivities of this historical time, steeped in tradition; of course, there is cashback to be grabbed along the way!
What gifts to give and to who?
Whilst our gift giving season has just ended, the Chinese culture has only just started. However, there are lots of small ways to enjoy this tradition in a low-key way and earn some money back at the same time.
Gifts for Chinese New Year differ based on who is gifting and who is receiving. Gifts for friends, could include a tasty bottle of alcohol, fruit, tea or a tea set. However, gifts for seniors are more likely to be scarves, gloves or hats. Grab some cashback on something to brighten your elder’s day!
For children however you cannot escape the gift of giving a red envelope or "pocket" filled with crisp notes. The idea behind this is to pass on luck of good fortune and blessings. Legend has it this tradition started so children would have the money to bribe the monstrous creature name Nian! Once a year, he would come out of its forest to wreak havoc and if the children had some money with them then this would mean they could send away the monster and his evil spirits using the bribe. How much these are filled with depends on how well you know the child and their age. If you know them well then you would gift more going up each year. If you don’t want to use money you can always use chocolate instead! You can buy ready-made red envelopes or make them yourself as a nice activity with the children. Get cashback on all the crafting materials you might need.
What to eat this New Year?
A big thing for Chinese New Year is the traditional family feast on New Years Eve. Hundreds of people travel back home to enjoy the comforts of being around their family. If you are travelling to your family this year get cashback deals on your travel here.
As the Chinese takeaways will be shut why not join in their traditions by cooking up a few treats for yourself! There are tons of traditional foods you can try your hand at, again it might be a lovely time to get the whole family involved and helping! It is traditional if visiting someone else’s house to bring some cookies with you as a thank you for their hospitality.
Whilst you have the traditional Chinese foods such as dumplings, spring rolls and noodles; there are many New Year specials for you to gorge on. Fish is a must for the Chinese New Year as it symbolises surplus and wealth; wishing that your family has an abundance of food and money for the year.
Believe it or not hot pot is the normal centre piece of the feast. History has turned this into a tradition since Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty was an enormous fan, holding feasts for old and retired officials with over 120 dishes! These dishes are in fact highly basic to make; only consisting of a bubbling pot and plates of uncooked meat and vegetables, with broth and dipping sauce. You can make your own special hot pot sauce using one raw egg, sesame paste, salt, sugar, cilantro and peppers. This is dish can be made however you choose adding whatever flavours you wish meaning it can be a great time to experiment!
Different foods have many different meanings so you can create your own hot pot according to flavour and name it from the meaning the ingredients create! Below are a few examples of what a few ingredients symbolise:
• Seaweed means wealth and fortune.
• Lotus seeds can mean a blessing for many children and a healthy family.
• Bamboo shoots represent longevity, as well as going onward and up.
• Muskmelon and grapefruit symbolise family, hope, wealth and prosperity.
• Osmanthus flower petals can represent being noble and precious.
• Leeks or chives signify long and everlasting times.
• Poria mushrooms stand for blessings and fortune.
But what for dessert you say? There are so many desserts that could be made for this holiday. The most traditional dessert though is a sweet rice cake called Nian Gao. It is a wish to be successful and that every year will be better than the last. Parents often joke to their children that eating this will help them grow taller. You can check out the latest cashback deals for all the groceries you will need to make the best feast.
It's time to decorate!
Another huge tradition on Chinese New Year is to set off firecrackers! However, as these are illegal in the UK, there are cute alternatives to use with the children of any ages from 5 to 95. Many joke and party shops will sell “fun snaps” which are far safer for the environment and still give a fun twist to the evening. There are many things you can get from such shops to celebrate and decorate your house for the occasion. Check the cashback available here.
When decorating your house, the main important thing is to have the lucky colour red everywhere! It is the main colour of the festival and as we are in the year of the rat many people will also be popping up decorations in relation to this.
You can always make it a crafty affair with the children and make your own decorations! If you do go down this route, I would highly suggest decorating your own lanterns in preparation for the lantern festival which comes straight after New Year on February 8th 2020. It adds a personal touch and is bound to keep the little ones busy on a weekend. The lantern festival symbolises reunions and is a time of socialising and freedom. It is over 2000 years old and is one of the prettiest festivals around. There is colour and merriment everywhere. Craft cashback can be found here.
I hope we have been able to give you a few ideas so you can browse the merchants for the best cashback deals and make this Chinese New Year one to remember!
