Celebrate Chinese New Year with Orange

Mandarin oranges play a major part in our Chinese New Year.  It’s to do with way we pronounce the word, it sounds like fortune.  Chinese people love to say only good words on Chinese New Year as it will bring them all the luck and fortune for the coming new year.

We also believe everything comes in twos.  So on the first day of Chinese New Year, the youngster will present two Mandarins and say Gong Xi Fa Cai (恭喜發財) to the elderly and married couples for an exchange of Ang Bao/Pow.  Normally, our parents would keep our Ang Bao/Pow ‘safe’ and deposit the cash in the bank.  The first time I was allowed to keep my first Ang Bao money was when I was about 10 years old and I was able to use the money to buy my favourite things!  I remember I bought a $200 watch (in Singapore Dollars) endorsed by Andy Lau.

Some families will also buy a Mandarin plant to display inside or outside the house.  Each year, my mum will be the first few to rush to the garden centre to purchase one without fail.  She does not like to wait in case all the nice plants are gone!  She will then place the plant at the most auspicious place according to that year’s feng shui.  She will then count the number of mandarins on the plant and use that number to buy TOTO or 4D (4 digits).  TOTO and 4D are similar to Lottery in UK.

These are a showcase of plants Singaporeans get to buy to decorate their houses with:

Mandarin is also used as an offering to Buddha as it means getting his blessing or request for good fortune. They also of course a delicious fruit and provide a boost of vitamins and minerals. They are one of my favourites as they also great for lunch boxes or while travelling!