As a child growing up in Hong Kong, I always felt Chinese New Year was the superior holiday. The gifts of gorgeous little red laisee packets filled with money gifted to children (and the unmarried, so I’m still elligible), the gold-stamped firecrackers that were almost too pretty to set off (sadly now banned in lots of cities), the whirling highly coordinated dragon dances in the streets. The fluffy trimmings on the dragon headdresses in particular were a huge draw.
Plus, the Lunar New Year is a two-week celebration, with special rituals for luck and family that draw out the merriment and get you in the right mindset. London’s New Years Eve, with its wet firework displays and scant traditions beyond a rowdy countdown and a sense of let down come New Year’s Day has never been able to compete.
