Chinese New Year in Singapore is an annual affair like no other. Every year, we are treated to stunning light displays, and Chinatown truly lights up beautifully for the lunar festival. We can’t deny that we grew up looking forward to the different decorations and lights every year.

Besides going from house to house to call on our relatives and friends, there is actually so much you can do before or after the actual day, as the Lunar New Year spans across a total of 15 days.

Here, we have 5 Fun Things To Do This Chinese New Year 2016 in Singapore – time to jazz up the lunar new year!

1. CATCH THE LIGHTS AT CHINATOWN

To ring in the year of the monkey, Chinatown is all ready to stun with cute decor. Apart from your usual lights in reds and golds, Chinatown makes sure to entice every year with thematic displays. Of course, this means we are going to see lots of monkey figurines and wahtnot this year.

Where: New Bridge Road & Eu Tong Sen Street

2. EMBARK ON A CHINATOWN WALKING TRAIL

This complimentary trail is free for all and anyone can sign up. During Chinese New Year, you can experience the area in full swing as the bazaars come alive and the beautiful lights display comes on. Each trail is conducted in English only, and limited to 10 participants.

When: 23, 24, 30 & 31 January 2016
Time: 3.30pm – 5pm

3. ENJOY FESTIVE STREET BAZAARS

Visiting festive street bazaars is seriously one of our favourite things to do during the Chinese New Year period – not just to buy goodies, but to simply soak in the atmosphere. Enjoy great discounts on decorations, food and various snacks – but more than that, you can basically find anything you need for Chinese New Year at the bazaars.

When: 15 January – 07 February 2016
Time: 6pm – 10.30pm (Daily), 6pm – 1am (Chinese New Year’s Eve)
Where: Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street,Temple Street and Trengganu Street

Read: Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Market – Here’s what to expect.

4. CATCH THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL LION DANCE COMPETITION

Lion dance is an internationally recognised sport, and it is especially popular in Asia. Often associated with good luck and auspiciousness, Lion Dance is performed widely during Chinese New Year.

Hong Lim Park is where this year’s annual event will be hosted at, and you should make a trip down to enjoy the stunning performances on the two special days.

When: 23 & 24 January 2016
Time: 6pm – 11pm
Where: Hong Lim Park

5. WATCH NIGHTLY STAGE SHOWS

Kreta Ayer Square will host performances every night from 16 January to 07 Feb 2016. Get hyped for Chinese New Year and really put yourself in the spirit; these performances of vibrant Chinese cultural performances, festive songs, music and dance performances by local entertainers and troupes from China will sure liven the mood and get you all ready to celebrate the most anticipated Chinese festivity.

When: 16 January – 7 February 2016
Time: 8.00pm – 10.30pm
Where: Kreta Ayer Square

Chinese New Year is no doubt one of the most hectic months of the year, especially if you are the appointed one to take charge of all the preparations. The lunar festivity is meant for fun and lots of time with the family, so would it not be nice to lessen any burden you have with some tips and hacks?

When it comes to prepping the menu, there is so much you can do to make your lives easier. And we can assure you that with these steps, you will have a mistake-proof Chinese New Year; food hacks really save our lives.

Here are some Chinese New Year 2016 Food Hacks You Need To Know Now.

#1 AVOID CHINATOWN FOR FOOD SHOPPING

If you cannot stand crowds, that is.

Chinatown during the Chinese New Year period might be fun and bustling, and discounts might be splendid. But crowds can be such a turn-off; we say go to a neighbourhood bazaar (there are tons every year and everywhere) instead to grab your decor and snacks and whatnot, instead of elbowing your way through and being elbowed at Chinatown.

#2 BUY GROCERIES ONLINE TO AVOID CROWDS

With platforms such as Redmart, you can even do some last minute shopping online and have it delivered right to your doorstep.

That is one big step already checked off your list. Speaking about convenience and laziness!

#3 RESTAURANT FOOD DELIVERY

If you are lazy to cook at home, why not get food delivery for your Chinese New Year dinner? And no, we are not talking about the ubiquitous pizza and fast food delivery.

Deliveroo has completely reinvented the idea by offering food delivery from top restaurants and cafes – all at a flat rate of S$3 per delivery. Readers of ladyironchef can use the promo code “LICROO” to get S$20 off your first order on Deliveroo.

#4 DIY VARIOUS SNACKS

If you are a fan of adding personal touches to the food you serve, try making your own simple and quick snacks for sharing. Recipes are aplenty online and are easy to find.

Want to showcase more creativity? Make use of CNY-related goodies and jazz them up. Pineapple tarts smoothie and bak kwa (BBQ-ed pork jerky) sandwich, anyone?

For the former, simply dunk a few pieces of pineapple tarts into the blender, add some milk or water, and have them blended into a drink. Sounds farfetched but you will be delightfully surprised by the taste.

The latter is our favourite thing to do. We would sit bak kwa slices atop our favourite breads (focaccia works well!), then sprinkle cheddar, and pop them in the microwave. Cheesy steak sandwiches reinvented and made better with bak kwa!

#5 FUN & CONVENIENT COMMUNAL HOT POT

Instead of thinking of a million recipes to make a buffet or dinner spread, why not do a hotpot instead? This is your ticket to a fool-proof meal plan!

After all, Chinese New Year is all about bringing families together for a reunion, and enjoying time together. Hotpot is the best way to interact, and communal dining is such a quintessential Chinese thing to do! Just remember to refer to point #2 when you do your grocery shopping.

#6 KNOW THE “LUCKY FOODS” BEFORE PREPARATION

This lunar festival is largely about prosperity and anything lucky. From decors to colours, foods to words, anything symbollic and auspicious will be very warmly welcomed.

Do your research well and proper, list down all the possible “lucky foods” you can include in your menu planning, and have this list with you when you do your grocery shopping.

This sounds so minute, but take it from us that your folks will be pleased by your effort.

#7 MAKE PRETTY & EASY SOFT DRINK POPSICLES

Instead of serving soft drinks in cans (which is just plain boring and we are all sick of such convenience by now), offer your guests soft drink popsicles instead!

They don’t take much effort – just overnight freezing – and they are so pretty. We are pretty sure the kids in your family will be so happy too.

Pimp your popsicles up and give it a lunar touch. Throw in pineapple chunks and mandarin slices. You can even use rose syrup for red-coloured popsicles; the redder the better for CNY!

When in doubt, refer to point #5.

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.

This year’s Chinese New Year Market is just like any other – full of yummy festive treats to bag home, and many other Chinese New Year-related decor and products. But we are seeing a lot more unique snacks and flavours this year that we have never encountered before.

As Singapore progresses along with food trends and the digital age, one-of-a-kind snacks and ideas are introduced to the annual market so as to constantly impress and excite.

We took a stroll down the different lanes and found some really interesting gems that are worth making a trip down for. If you are new to Singapore, you should also soak up the festive mood and experience the bustling annual market that Singaporeans love! Here is What To Expect At Chinatown’s Chinese New Year Market 2016.

The full market will start at the end of January, where the market will operate in its full glory and all stalls will run in full force. However, if you head down now, most stalls are already open and in business – great for early shopping and getting everything done on time, minus the crowd!

Besides the plethora of snacks, you can do your Chinese New Year decor shopping here. Look at these whopping low prices of S$1 and three for S$10.

This is something that our moms always go to Chinatown for. We used to diss it, but as we grow older, we become more sentimental about many things and these red whatnots actually get to us. Let’s hope that this lunar spirit never die, and no matter how modernisation takes place, Chinese New Year will always look like how they traditionally look.

The same festive feel and spirit can be felt all through the market, and the market will liven up a lot more once the actual Chinese New Year day draws closer.

These fruit jellies are commonly seen every year, but we saw some pretty unique flavours besides the regular plum ones this year.

We have matcha, chocolates and coffee flavoured ones that originate from Taiwan, and because these fruit jellies are ever popular snacks among guests, we are gonna stock up on them in the new flavours.

Thinking of shopping for your regular Chinese New Year snacks? We suggest coming right to this store here (you will not be able to miss it, it takes up a very large area) where they sell snacks packaged in different sizes.

But of course, based on our observation, these become way cheaper on Chinese New Year Eve. They will slash the prices like crazy just to clear their stocks!

Stalls that sell seeds and munchies are aplenty, and prices are pretty much controlled and standardised, so you really can pick these up conveniently anywhere at almost the same prices.

This is probably the most unique stall at this year’s market.

We stopped in our tracks when we read ‘Sour Cream Cashew Nuts’. Being avid fans of buttery cashew nuts, these were the answer to our prayers. Such a pleasant surprise this was, and it is probably going to be our favourite snack this Chinese New Year!

It is best to start walking from Pagoda Street where the market starts from. Pretty easy to spot if you are taking the train and exiting from Chinatown MRT Station.

The market extends all the way to Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street and Trengganu Street, as well as the neighbouring lanes on either sides of Pagoda Street. However, the main market – where majority of the stalls are- is located at Pagoda Street and Temple Street.

Chinese New Year is approaching and for many countries in Asia, it is a huge celebration. These countries, including Singapore, throw grand parades and huge celebrations in conjunction with this annual event.

Chinese New Year celebrates the start of a new year according to the Chinese Lunar calendar. The festivity spans over a period of 15 days and during these 15 days, there will be various parades and celebrations all over for the whole family to enjoy and participate in.

Here, we have 5 Chinese New Year Parades and Events in Asia to Catch in 2016 - from massive fireworks display to big-scale night parades!

Image: Vprazdniki

1. BEIJING

Chinese New Year is a big thing in China and everywhere, not just in Beijing, throw huge and impressive celebrations. In Beijing, there will be a magnificent fireworks display over the capital city. Also, many will light their own fireworks all around the city to liven up the atmosphere.

Over the course of 15 days, fireworks can be seen daily, and every day, there will be various temple fairs where you can taste local food and partake in fun games and activities.

Image: Fest300

2. HONG KONG

The main highlight of Chinese New Year in Hong Kong is the popular Chinese New Year Night Parade.

Held in Tsim Sha Tsui, the streets will light up and transform into a fun street party. The whole harbour front area will be lit up so beautifully, it is one sight you will not soon forget. This is a hallmark event of Hong Kong – one not to be missed if you are heading there for Chinese New Year!

Image: Wikimedia

3. MALAYSIA

Malaysia is by and large a Muslim country, and Chinese New Year is not celebrated as grandly as countries like China. However, parties and celebrations will still be held by the Chinese citizens of the country.

There will be acrobatic shows and lion dance performances at major temples and areas in Kuala Lumpur during this period as well.

Image: Your Singapore

4. SINGAPORE

Every year, Singapore glows with streets decorated with bright lights and Chinese New Year-themed decor. Expect various celebrations across major areas such as Chinatown, but the main fun happens at River Hongbao – an event held annually at the Floating Platform at Marina Bay.

There will be various live entertainment, alongside local food stalls and other activities that the whole family can enjoy!

Image: New Years Eve Blog

5. TAIWAN

The main attraction in Taipei during Chinese New Year is the parade that starts from Anxing Street that covers the whole city.

You get to see Chinese acrobats, musicians, martial art experts and folk dancers performing in this parade, including the iconic dragon dance. The fireworks display during Chinese New Year is also another massive event not to be missed.

Singapore is a multicultural society, and one of the best things about living here is that we get to celebrate the different festivals like Deepavali, Hari Raya Haji, Christmas, and Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year – the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays – falls on 23 and 24 January 2012. The main highlight of Chinese New Year in Singapore is the Chinatown Celebrations. Every year, many stalls will line up the streets of Chinatown, and visitors can soak in the festive mood at the market.

Here are some photos that I took at the Chinese New Year Market in Chinatown.

I like Chinese New Year. It is the time where we go shopping for decoration items, new clothes and Chinese New Year food. It is the time where families get together for the reunion dinner. And of course, it is the time for us to indulge in Chinese New Year traditional goodies like kueh bangkit, loveletters, pinapple tarts, peanut cookies, and bak kwa.

Chinatown Chinese New Year Night Market
Date: 31 December 2011 – 22 January 2012
Time: 6.00pm – 10.30pm
6.00pm – 1.00am (Chinese New Year Eve)
Venue: Pagoda Street, Smith Street, Sago Street, Temple Street, Trengganu Street.