How do Thais celebrate Chinese New Year?

Wherever there are Chinese people, there is the Spring Festival. With the arrival of the Chinese Lunar New Year, Chinese people all over the world buy New Year's goods and post Spring Festival couplets to welcome this most important festival of the year.

Thailand is a country with the largest overseas Chinese community in the world outside of mainland China. In Thailand, the Chinese Lunar New Year is also one of the very important festivals. Local Chinese and overseas Chinese have always maintained the traditional customs of celebrating the New Year. Every year During the Spring Festival, both the private sector and the government organize Spring Festival activities with lights and colorful decorations, and the excitement is no different from that in China.

Thais also celebrate the Chinese New Year

There are many Chinese in Thailand, accounting for 12% of the country’s population

As we all know, Thailand is a traditional country of Chinese immigrants, with tens of millions of Chinese. Accounting for about 12-14% of the country's population, the largest number of Chinese are from the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, China. They are an important part of Thailand's national economy and play a decisive role in industries such as commerce, finance, sugar refining, transportation, textiles and agricultural product processing. It is an important part of Thailand's diverse culture and nation.

For the first time, the Chinese Spring Festival will be regarded as a statutory holiday

On December 29, 2020, the Thai Cabinet meeting decided to add statutory holidays, among which the Chinese Lunar New Year was included. This is also the first time in Thailand’s history List the Spring Festival as a national public holiday. China also very much welcomes this move. China and Thailand are one family! A few days ago, Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand also wrote a New Year greeting in Chinese characters "Bull Spirit" to express her best wishes, and explained in Thai that "I wish you a prosperous business and prosperity in the Year of the Ox in 2021"!

Due to the large number of overseas Chinese in Thailand, they have always maintained the traditional customs of celebrating the New Year. There are all kinds of activities for eating, drinking and having fun. Only some habits are slightly different from those in China. You might as well take a look at everyone in Thailand How do you spend the Spring Festival?

Chinese New Year customs in Thailand

On New Year’s Eve, they worship their ancestors and have New Year’s Eve dinner

The Chinese in Thailand will gather as a family on New Year’s Eve, which is New Year’s Eve. Worship ancestors and have dinner together. In China, the New Year's Eve dinner is regarded as the most important event during the New Year, but in Thailand, ancestor worship is regarded as a more important activity than the New Year's Eve dinner. Usually, Chinese people prepare things for the day in advance. On New Year's Eve, they place various sacrifices on the altar at home, put out incense burners, light incense candles, and perform sacrifices to thank their ancestors for the foundation they have created and to pray for the coming year. of health and safety. After completing the worship ceremony, the family sat together to eat, chat, and welcome the new year.

Giving alms and praying for blessings on the first day of the Lunar New Year

Unlike in China where they visit relatives and visit relatives on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Chinese in Thailand do not rush to pay New Year greetings on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but follow Buddhism Traditionally, people choose to go to temples to give alms in order to pray to the Buddha for good weather and good luck for their families in the coming year. Just prepare a few simple foods or desserts and put them into the bowl held by the monk to complete the ceremony. This can be regarded as the result of cultural blending. In addition to giving alms, it is also an indispensable custom to seek fortune-telling in temples.

Leisure and entertainment festival atmosphere

Throughout the Spring Festival, grand celebrations will be held in many places in Thailand, including dragon and lion dances, lantern exhibitions, float parades, firecrackers, etc., which is very lively extraordinary. Red lanterns are hung on both sides of the street, with various blessings written in Chinese. Whether they are Chinese or not, everyone is immersed in the festive atmosphere. At a certain moment, it makes people feel as if they are in a certain Chinese city.

Thai-style Special Spring Festival Treats

Every Chinese New Year, various special night markets with the Spring Festival theme will be held across Thailand, which are both full of Thai characteristics and full of Full of Chinese New Year flavor. Major shopping malls will also launch various commemorative activities, with various lanterns, Chinese knots, etc. hung everywhere. Central Chidlom Department Store collaborated with cutting-edge designer Gongkan to integrate traditional Chinese dragons into the mall, running through the entire first floor; EM Business District is filled with colorful lanterns outside the mall, which is very Chinese and is a must-go for Thais during the Spring Festival. One of the check-in spots for shopping.

Cheongsam, Tang suit, Chinese costume

If you go to Chinatown on New Year’s Eve, you will find that Chinatown has turned into a sea of ??red. Many people wore red Tang suits and cheongsams and walked among the red billboards to welcome the New Year. Not only that, when you turn on the TV, you can also see news anchors wearing Tang suits and cheongsams. The joy and atmosphere of the Spring Festival are everywhere. Many TV stations will also organize artists to shoot Chinese-style calendars, which are also very popular among Thai people