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Luisa Tam

I burst out laughing when I saw the words “bright red underwear for Chinese New Year” in a promotional email I received the other day. It was as if a divine power from above was reminding me that it is time to prepare for the Lunar New Year.
It is no joke that Chinese people take the colour red very seriously, especially during the Lunar New Year period. It also takes centre stage during other significant occasions including birthdays, a business deal being negotiated, or even when playing mahjong.
In Chinese culture, red, black, and white are considered the three main “essential” colours.
Red – the most popular – symbolises life and its many positive aspects. Therefore, it is often associated with the vitality of life, happiness, as well as wealth, luck, and success.

With the Lunar New Year fast approaching, clothing stalls in street markets are displaying a variety of red underwear (for both men and women) in a manner akin to the red lanterns hung in streets and walkways. Some of these undies are emblazoned with Chinese characters and patterns depicting luck and fortune.
It can be quite an astonishing sight if you are new to Hong Kong, and even incongruous in a seemingly socially conservative city. Chinese people tend to be quite traditional in their outlook, and blatantly displaying lacy undergarments in a shopfront would appear to contradict that attitude. But this custom is not salacious or “sexy” in any way, and nor is it advertised as such.
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In the lead-up to the Lunar New Year, red underwear is sold just like any other festive decoration such as door couplets, paper cuttings and lanterns.
Red underwear is often worn during Lunar New Year and it is considered an auspicious accessory that all Chinese people – men and women, young and old – put on to maximise their luck and fortune.
For people who don’t want to be seen wearing something too flamboyant, this less conspicuous choice is an ideal alternative.

Having said that, there are other creative options for wearing red during the celebratory period. You can choose smaller items like a red vest, a red tie, or a red accessory like a bracelet or handkerchief. You can even paint your nails red.
However, tucked away quietly underneath, red underwear is still the best alternative to a bright red outer garment. I guess some may be resistant to contradicting their style, even for the promise of a little New Year luck.
In terms of size, the Chinese belief is “the bigger the better” because more red fabric equals more luck.
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For women, granny pants like those featured in the British romcom Bridget Jones’s Diary, also infamously known as the “absolutely enormous panties”, will be the top choice for those wanting to receive maximum luck.
Lunar New Year luck is plentiful if you know where to look for it. You can also “borrow” money from the Goddess of Mercy or Kwun Yum.
There are many Kwun Yum temples across the city ready to hand out heavenly credits to worshippers. Some Hongkongers queue outside these temples the night before or hours ahead of the opening of the Kwun Yum treasury, hoping to be the first to participate in the annual ritual.

The ritual, held on the 26th day of the first lunar month, involves buying a red piece of paper, which costs HK$50 to HK$60, that has a “value” inscribed on it. This ranges from a few million to billions of dollars of heavenly currency.
The red paper must be returned to the temple before the next Lunar New Year. The amount of the “loan” signifies the degree of luck for the recipient in the new year. The bigger the loan, the more luck they will receive. For a mere HK$60, who wouldn’t want to establish a line of credit with Kwun Yum?
Lunar New Year is also a time to reinforce connections with family and friends. So don’t forget to follow Chinese traditions.
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Remember to greet everyone you meet by saying kung hei fat choi (wishing you prosperity) and they will most likely return the favour. Be generous and give out lai see (lucky money in red packets) to the young and people who have served or helped you in the past year, such as the watchman or cleaning staff in your residential block.
Luck and fortune go both ways and they work exponentially. You have to give to receive, so you reap what you sow.
Good luck with sharing luck and fortune with others. Kung hei fat choi!
Luisa Tam is a Post correspondent who also hosts video tutorials on Cantonese language that are now part of Cathay Pacific’s in-flight entertainment programme


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Lunar New Year

How to have an extra lucky Lunar New Year: red underwear and a loan from the Goddess of Mercy

Increase your Lunar New Year luck by wearing lucky red underwear. Photo: Taobao

Increase your Lunar New Year prosperity by wearing lucky red underwear. Photo: Taobao

If red underwear is not your thing, you can wear something else, like a red vest or red tie. Photo: Shutterstock

A Kwun Yum temple in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock

7 new Lunar New Year puddings to enjoy from The Peninsula Boutique, Sexy Crab, China Tang and more – sweet, savoury and classics with a twist

SEXY CRAB_New Year Cakes&#xA;[FEATURES] Photo / HANDOUT

Seafood lovers will enjoy trying out the crab roe sticky rice cake at Sexy Crab in Tsim Sha Tsui. Celebrate the Lunar New Year with the Post’s pick of tasty puddings.

Savoury turnip pudding with abalone and XO sauce, at the Peninsula Boutique.

Crab roe sticky rice cake at Sexy Crab, in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Turnip pudding with dried tiger prawns and local preserved meat from China Tang in Central.

Coconut milk pudding with red bean and Ceylon tea at Ying Jee Club, in Central.

Aged tangerine peel turnip cake from Dashijie. 

Vegan turnip cakes with mushrooms from Ma ... and The Seeds of Life, in Central. 

Why ‘lucky money’ red packets are unlikely to disappear in Hong Kong, despite rise of electronic lai see

Banks have been urged to not print the year or Chinese zodiac sign on lai see packets so those left over can be used again. Photo: Fung Chang

Staff of Lok Fu Place pick up lai see packets after ceremony on recycling lai see packets by Greeners Action at Lok Fu Plaza. 05FEB17 SCMP / David Wong

Photo illustration shows newly minted Hong Kong Dollar banknotes (USD1 equivalent to HKD7.77) and "lai see" or lucky money red packets in Hong Kong, 27 January 2006. The Lunar New Year trend of giving bank notes as gifts is on the wieght of the minds of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority who will print a whopping 300 tonnes of new notes for this years festivitie. AFP PHOTO/MIKE CLARKE

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To attract good luck and minimise bad luck, worshippers make offerings on the first day of the Lunar New Year at Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin Temple. Photo: Sam Tsang

Feng shui master Choi Park-lai poses for a photograph at his office in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Photo: May Tse

A worshipper carries a big paper windmill during the annual Lunar New Year ritual at Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. Photo: Felix Wong

Hand-drawn watercolour illustration of an origami tiger. Photo: Getty/iStock

Hand-drawn watercolour illustration of an origami monkey. Photo: Getty/iStock

Hand-drawn watercolour illustration of an origami snake. Photo: Getty/iStock

Hand-drawn watercolour illustration of an origami pig. Photo: Getty/iStock

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Red is an important colour in Chinese culture, linked to luck and life, and at Lunar New Year you can see it everywhere
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In Chinese culture, red is a lucky colour, so maximise your Lunar New Year fortune by wearing red, giving out lucky red packets and wishing everyone kung hei fat choi.


Hong Kong culture

Cantonese culture, slang and customs

Uniquely Hong Kong

My Hong Kong

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


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