Things I learned about Chinese New Year:

• There are 3 public holidays (and this year they were all on workdays woohoo)

• For those who celebrate this occasion it is mainly about family time, most people travel back to where they are from to spend the days with family

• Decorations are at least as hard out as Christmas, perhaps even more so I think

• One of the focal points in Hong Kong is in a teeny tiny village in the countryside

• Visitors flock there to write their wish on a red piece of paper, tie it to a plastic orange and throw it onto a plastic wishing tree

• It wasn’t always so weird and plastic, the original tree couldn’t handle the growth in wishes so they made a substitute and fenced off the original to save it

• The higher your wish lands in the tree the better

• If you fail to land your wish in the tree it might be a sign you wished for too much

• Over the main 3 days of the celebrations they clear the wishing tree each night

• The best time to go visit the wishing tree is just before Chinese New Year starts, it is all set up but the crowds haven’t arrived yet

• You can also buy wooden hearts and tie them up to lock in your love (like the padlocks on the bridge in Paris)

• People hand out red envelopes with cash in them (Lai See or red pockets) throughout the 3 days

• Mainly red pockets are given from bosses to employees (thanks to our team lead and company owner for my first two red pockets!), from married people to non-married people (usually within the family or maybe close friends), or to those who provide services to you (cleaner, security guys at your apartment etc.)

• The money given in the red pockets should be brand new notes (press the special Chinese New Year option on the ATM or queue at the bank for 2 hours)

• The money should only be folded a maximum of once, and should not involve the number 4 i.e. don’t give $40, as the number 4 sounds similar to death

• Most people seem to travel during this time, either to see family or because they have 3 days off work

• Fire crackers are commonly let off as the first day of the new year arrives, to scare away bad spirits (or freak out tourists in their hotel in Taiwan)

• Oranges are everywhere, little trees decorate lobbies, they hang off wishing trees and people give them as gifts when visiting at this time of year

• It isn’t ideal to try and travel by car in Taiwan on the 3rd day when everyone has been cooped up with their family for two days and decides to head out and about too