11 CNY Gifts That Aren’t Oranges
Gift giving during Chinese New Year is believed to bring good blessings for the year ahead.
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The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is a celebration of renewal. This is why family reunions are important during this time as it’s a way to “renew” family ties and relationships.
During this time, gift exchanges usually occur as it’s believed giving each other gifts is seen as a way to bring good luck and blessings to each other.
Here are some amazing gifts for your loved ones to help them welcome the Year of the Dragon on an auspicious note!
1. Bak kwa
Bak kwa is a popular and addictive snack during the Lunar New Year. While it’s typically made out of marinated pork, some versions are made using chicken meat. Some people believe bak kwa can bring luck and prosperity due to its red hues. Bak kwa is usually sold as thin, square sheets. However, if you’re lucky, you might find bak kwa that are cut into unique shapes like a gold coin or a heart which will make a unique gift.
2. Health hampers
To wish someone good health and longevity, you can gift them a health hamper. The hamper can be filled with nutritious food such as fruits and abalone, chicken essence, ginseng, and herbal tea.
Unbox’s Loong gift sets are sure to bring prosperity and smiles to your loved ones and can be personalised with an engraving of your recipient’s name on a wooden tag. The tag is attached to the gift box with an Oriental knot.
The Loong Shine Bright herbal set for radiance and vitality comes in a beautiful wooden tray carrier in red and gold and is adorned with intricately engraved Chinese elements on the sides. The herbal set consists of Canada Ginseng slices, Shiitake mushrooms, premium braised abalones, two soup packs, and a skin collagen booster dessert pack.
The Hoi Toi Loongather set can be transformed into a mini-game table (hoi toi) and an acrylic piece featuring 6 good luck icons. Inside, you’ll find Loong Kee Mini Pork Bak Kwa, a Nostalgic Chicken Bowl, exquisitely engraved wooden dice, and a wooden coaster.
3. Fruit baskets
As health takes precedence, a fruit basket as a thoughtful gift is highly welcomed. You can make the gift extra meaningful with fruits with symbolic meanings such as pineapples to symbolise good fortune, pomelos to signify abundance and family unity, and dragon fruits to signify beauty and luck.
4. Chocolates
Chocolates are another great gift for the family as the sweet treats can be shared and symbolise a sweet year ahead. Venchi has created a limited-edition gift collection featuring its Chocoviar, Gianduiotti, Granblend, and Cremini chocolates. The packaging’s colourful motifs and floral patterns embody flourishing new beginnings, a perfect welcome to the Year of the Dragon.
5. Tea sets
Tea drinking is an important facet of the Chinese culture. Tea is believed to bring health benefits such as cooling or detoxing the body. As such, giving someone a beautiful traditional tea set is an excellent choice. Consider including a variety of teas such as pu-erh, oolong, and flower tea to complete the gift set.
The Loong Cha Cha set is made up of a large vintage tin can adorned with retro prints and held in a corrugated carrier. This set is perfect for tea lovers as it comes with a mini Tea Set, Da Hong Pao tea packs, a jar of Glutinous Rice Pu Erh Tea, a pack of Tangerine Peel Peanuts in Shell and a bag of Walnut Sesame Red Dates.
6. Lunar New Year-themed decor
Getting someone a Lunar New Year-themed décor such as a scroll featuring elegant dragon calligraphy with auspicious wishes can help brighten up their homes. If it’s for a family or a group of friends, getting them any of the Lego Lunar New Year-themed sets can provide them with a fun bonding activity. Lego has various sets portraying family reunions, a Money tree featuring mandarin oranges, and even the Auspicious Dragon.
7. Lucky plant
Potted plants such as the lucky bamboo plant, kalanchoe, sunrise succulents, and jade plant are believed to bring great luck, good fortune, and prosperity. The lucky plant also doubles as great house decor and will delight any plant lovers receiving it.
READ MORE: 8 Lucky Plants For More “Ong” This CNY
8. Liquor gift set
No Lunar New Year reunion is complete without at least a bottle of alcohol or two. Getting someone a bottle of liquor will be a pleasant surprise (if they like drinking) and it’s even better if it comes with as a gift bundle. Some of these liquor gift sets can come with cool accessories such as bottle openers, playing cards, or yummy snacks.
9. Wellness and Relaxation packages
After the rush of preparing for the festivities, a gift that encourages someone to relax and rest can be thoughtful. Gifts such as spa or massage vouchers or meditation packages can help your loved ones wind down and get ready for the year ahead refreshed.
10. Jewellery
Jewellery is a timeless gift and it’ll be perfect for those who love to accessorize. You can mark the occasion by gifting them unique, zodiac-themed jewellery that features their zodiac animal or birth year. If you’re unsure, dragon-themed jewellery works just as well since it’s the Year of the Dragon. It could be a necklace, a charm, or a bracelet.
11. Watch
While some still see giving watches as gifts as a taboo, things are starting to change. If the recipient is not bound by the taboos, watches make good gifts and can be personalised with an engraving on the case back.
G-Shock has a watch range that’s inspired by the golden dragon (MTG-B3000CXD). The bezel and brand loop of the watch are covered with a gold dragon scale motif. The dragon scale motif is also printed on the dial in dark colour with a soaring dragon engraved at the case back to signify an auspicious and successful year.
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