Red is hot, fiery, bright and glaring. Red brings joy, luck and prosperity. It is the Chinese New Year 2010. This year is so special because we have both Chinese New Year (Imlek) celebration and Valentine’s Day falling on the same day, Sunday 14 February 2010.

Red does not only symbolise happiness, wealth, prosperity and good luck, it is also believed to ward off evil spirits. Imlek is a holiday for everyone to enjoy and show their love, warmth, harmony and togetherness with family.

As Chinese New Year is just around the corner, the atmosphere is strongly felt everywhere including malls, shopping centres, star-rated hotels, Chinatown, etc., where the shops are brightly adorned with red-themed decorations. Various kinds of accessories are on offer for those celebrating this special moment with family.

Imlek is also a celebration of love for the family. As usual, many people will be dressed in red during Chinese New Year. They also decorate their houses with red ornaments and cook Chinese food cuisine for family reunion dinner. Red envelopes containing money – called ang pao – are normally handed over by the elderly to children and teenagers during the day.

When it comes to cooking for a Chinese New Year celebration, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind. The foods that are prepared each one has its very own meaning and a definite reason for being prepared. Noodles, garlic chives, peanuts, lettuce, lobster and chicken are a few examples that are normally served.

On behalf of Ellane & Chefer team, we would like to wish you all Gong Xi Fa Cai – wishing you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year.