In 2022, the ox replaces the rat as the third animal in the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle, bringing hope for positive change. Chinese New Year commences on February 1st, ushering in a period of customary greetings and well wishes.

A wish for plentiful business opportunities.
生意兴隆.

Common greetings include “Happy New Year” (新年快乐, xin nian kuai le) and “Congratulations on receiving riches and prosperity” (恭喜发财, gong xi fa cai). Prosperity holds significant value in Chinese culture, particularly during Chinese New Year. Other well-received greetings are “May your wishes come true” (心想事成, xin xiang shi cheng) and “Prosperity in abundance” (福气满满, fu qi man man).

In business settings, fortune-related greetings are customary:

• “Wealth arising from harmony” (和气生财, he qi sheng cai)
• “Rising higher with each step taken” (步步高升, bu bu gao sheng)
• “May riches enter in huge volumes” (财源广进, cai yuan guang jin) or “May riches gush in” (财源滚滚, cai yuan gun gun)
• “Achievements everywhere, literally from east to west” (东成西就, dong cheng xi jiu)
• “May your work go smoothly” (工作顺利, gong zuo shun li)
• “May fortune find you” (鸿运当头, hong yun dang tou)
• “May your products sell like hotcakes, as quickly as wheels turn” (货如轮转, huo ru lun zhuan)
• “Instant success” (马到成功, ma dao cheng gong)
• “Surpluses every year” (年年有余, nian nian you yu)
• “An easy path to a meteoric rise” (平步青云, ping bu qing yun)
• “Get a promotion and a raise” (升官发财, sheng guan fa cai)
• “May the business thrive greatly” (生意兴隆, sheng yi xing long)
• “Success in business” (事业有成, shi ye you cheng) or “A successful business” (事业发达, shi ye fa da)
• “Making progress in the new year” (新年进步, xin nian jin bu)
• “Reap much more than you invest” (一本万利, yi ben wan li).

Statues of tigers adorn Singapore’s Chinatown in celebration of the year of the tiger.

Greetings may also incorporate the year’s zodiac animal. For instance, “Great fortune in the year of the [animal]” (___年大吉, ___ nian da ji) or “Great luck in the year of the [animal] as it progresses” (___年行大運/年行大运, ___ nian xing da yun). “The fortune-bringing [animal]” (福, fu ___) is another option. This year is the year of the tiger (虎, hu), followed by the rabbit (兔, tu) in 2023 and the dragon (龙, long) thereafter.

Marigold’s Chinese New Year marketing features the phrase “fortune-bringing tiger” (福虎, fu hu).

Due to the numerous homophones in the Chinese language, puns are prevalent, particularly in festive marketing where brands often play on positive classical sayings. However, the opportunity for puns varies from year to year.

In Singapore, 2019 and 2020 saw few pig and rat-related puns respectively due to their negative connotations in classical Chinese phrases. 2021 continued this trend with only one widely used phrase, “a complete change” (扭转乾坤, niu zhuan qian kun), where “扭” is replaced with its homophone “牛” (ox). The year of the tiger appears to follow suit.

Beverage company UFC created a Chinese New Year sleeve featuring a tiger-related pun. The traditional saying “May the five fortunes come to your door” (五福临门, wufu linmen) is adapted to “May the fortune of the tiger come to your door” (虎福临门, hufu linmen), utilizing the rhyming words for “five” and “tiger.”

Some popular tiger-related sayings include “To be as strong as a tiger” (虎虎生威, huhu shengwei), “When the tiger enters, sweetness arrives” (虎进甘来, hujin ganlai), “Like a tiger has wings added,” symbolizing swift success (如虎添翼, ruhu tianyi), and “When the cat is fat, the household works smoothly” (猫肥家润, maofei jiarun), considered auspicious for the year of the tiger. “Moves majestically and stay unbeatable” (虎步龙行, hubu longxing) is another fitting expression for wishing someone well.

Giordano’s tiger-themed message for the year is “To be as strong as a tiger” (虎虎生威, huhu shengwei).

No traditional Chinese New Year banquet in Malaysia and Singapore is complete without a “lohei” (撈起) ceremony preceding the meal. “Loheis” are available for several weeks leading up to and during the first 15 days of Chinese New Year. However, celebrations have been toned down due to social distancing guidelines. In Singapore, for example, diners are encouraged to toss the salad quietly, and prerecorded audio has replaced the traditional verbal wishes during the salad assembly.

A “lohei” platter. Each ingredient carries a special meaning, such as the raw salmon (abundance) in the center and the crackers (money).

The ceremony involves a platter of “yusheng” (鱼生), a raw fish salad. Toppings are added ceremoniously, each accompanied by an auspicious wish. Certain ingredients are linked to specific phrases. Typically, the sweet sauce is added while saying “May life be sweet” (甜甜蜜蜜, tian tian mi mi), and the fish or seafood is arranged while saying “Surpluses every year” (年年有余, nian nian you yu) because “surplus” (余, yu) sounds like “fish” (鱼, yu).

Once assembled, diners use chopsticks to toss (“lo”) the salad high (“hei”) while expressing their hopes for the new year, believing that the higher the toss, the better their luck. In 2021, the ceremony adopted a subdued format with masked diners and no spoken greetings in Singaporean restaurants.

If you struggle to remember numerous greetings, a simple “Happy New Year” suffices. The essence lies in starting the year positively and expressing wishes for fortune, prosperity, and success. It is important to avoid negativity. “May all things be as you wish” (万事如意, wan shi ru yi)!

Explore:

Fengshui masters traditionally issue forecasts for the new year before Chinese New Year. Dato’ Joey Yap of The Joey Yap Group and founder of the Mastery Academy of Chinese Metaphysics, explains that a forecast reveals the year’s potential opportunities and challenges. It is not a prediction but a guide to maximize positive outcomes and navigate potential obstacles.

He emphasizes that awareness enables early planning, comparing it to understanding wind direction for sailing. Ultimately, these forecasts aim to inform decision-making for 2022.

Watch Joey Yap’s video about 2022 where he categorizes individuals into three groups: unstoppable, awakened, and disruptors.

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