Chinese New Year Guide: personal preparation in Hong Kong
Besides what to do at home to prepare for CNY, there are also some traditions of what people can do for themselves for CNY:
1. Buy new clothes
New start with new clothes, new shoes, or new bags. It is the tradition which Hong Kong people never get tired of. Many people would get red clothes, which is the colour of CNY.
Some people even believe that wearing red underwears can bring them luck so they can win from gambling during CNY.
2. Get a new haircut
Similar to new clothes, new look for the new year. Some hair salons may have additional charge before Chinese New Year, or you can tip the hairdresser.
3. Get new banknotes
It is famous that married Chinese people would give red pockets to people they know who are not married during Chinese New Year. Red pockets are envelops with money inside. Traditionally the banknotes inside have to be brand new too. In recent years, banks have been getting eco-friendly by providing used banknotes in good condition, so they do not need to destroy too much banknotes in order to release new ones.
