The Significance of Gold in Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the most important date on the lunar calendar and is celebrated throughout the world by the Chinese community. Many view the celebration as a time of joy, celebration, and tradition. One of the key elements of this important holiday is the significance of gold; it holds a special place in Chinese culture and is often seen as a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and good luck. From gold jewellery and decorations to gold accessories and gifts and even the color itself, this precious metal has always played a significant role in celebrations.

Gold is Steeped in Myth and Legends

Gold was believed to be used to scare away demons in Chinese culture. It has been said that the bright, shining nature of gold had the power to ward off evil spirits and bring positive spiritual energy to its surroundings. With this in mind, gold was often incorporated into religious and spiritual rituals, as well as into the decoration of homes and businesses, especially during festivals and special occasions such as the Chinese New Year. The belief in the protective power of gold remains strong in many parts of China to this day, and gold is still seen as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. With such a rich heritage, gifting gold jewellery is a sure fire way to show someone how much you value them and bless them with good wishes.

What Makes Gold So Important During Chinese New Year?

Gold and red are the two most dominant colors associated with the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. If you’ve ever seen a lunar celebration, you’d have seen houses, banners, lantern filled streets, clothing all draped in red and gold. While red is considered a lucky color in Chinese culture, symbolizing good fortune, happiness, and longevity; gold on the other hand, is seen as a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and good luck.

Giving golden jewellery, decorations, and other accessories as gifts during the holiday is a common practice, while homes and businesses are decorated with gold accents, such as lanterns, banners, and coins. The color gold is also commonly associated with wisdom, power, and abundance, making it a popular choice during the new year celebrations.

While red may be the primary color for the holidays, gold is always coming in at a close second. Together, the colors red and gold are seen as a powerful combination for bringing good luck and prosperity during the Chinese New Year. These colors are so prominent in many aspects of the holiday they’ve basically become part of the culture and heritage associated with Chinese New Year itself.

Gold as a Gift During Chinese New Year

There has long been a tradition of wishing good fortune and prosperity on others during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Take for example, we would wish “Gong Xi Fa Cai” upon each other, which translates to “wish you good luck and fortune” when we meet family and friends during this time. During this time, seniors will also hand out red packets (ang pao🧧), containing money or gold to juniors as a symbol of passing good fortune and happiness to them for the coming year. Here are gold related gifting ideas for the festivities:

Golden Foods

Chocolates and mandarin oranges are popular gifts during Chinese New Year. You’ll often see chocolate coins wrapped in golden foil given to children during this time of the year. Giving chocolates symbolizes the giver’s wishes for sweetness in the recipient’s life, while mandarin oranges are a traditional symbol of good fortune and wealth. Did you know, the fruit’s name in Chinese (“kam”) sounds similar to the word for “gold” (“gam”), so giving them is seen as a way to wish the recipient prosperity. Both chocolates and mandarin oranges are often presented in festive packaging, and are exchanged between family, friends as a means of well wishes.

Gold Bars and Coins

Giving gold bars and coins during Chinese New Year is seen as a symbol of wealth and prosperity in many Asian cultures. Gold gifts are seen as a way to wish the recipient financial success and prosperity in the coming year. These gifts are typically given to close family members, such as parents, grandparents, and children. But it is also common for businesses to give gold gifts to clients and employees as a gesture of goodwill. You’ll often find these gifts wrapped in red paper or special packaging to emphasize the auspicious nature of the gift. Regardless of who you are gifting it to, you’ll find an impressive selection of gold coins and bars at Jin Huo (your premier gold manufacturer).

Gold Jewellery

Fancy something golden, but more intricate and beautiful compared to gold coins? Perhaps you are looking for the perfect new years gift for someone dear to you. Gold jewellery is another popular gifting item during this festive season. It could be gold bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings or even gold bangle Malaysia; Jin Huo has your needs covered. Just like gold bars and coins, these can be wrapped in red paper or packaging such as an ang pao to further bring out the grandeur of the gift.

Be Prepared for the Chinese New Year!

With the biggest day of the year coming for many Chinese communities around the world, it would be wise to make sure you are ready to meet your family and friends with open arms. With gifting and well wishes playing such a big part of the holiday celebrations, having the right gift in hand will literally make the whole coming year for the recipient. If you’ve decided on a golden gift for this new year, head on over to Jin Huo – gold jewellery penang, so that we can find the perfect one just for you!