Chinese New Year Trivia

Singapore - some Chinese New Year Trivia for those who are clueless about this festival that is widely celebrated in Asia....

1. Why must the amount in cahs in the Hong Bao be even-numbered?
2. Why must we stay up on the eve of Chinese Year Year?
3. Why do we wear red-coloured clothes on Chinese New Year?
4. Why is the Chinese Character fu placed upside down?
5. Why are mandarin oranges exchanged during Chinese New Year?



Answers:
1. There's a Chinese saying that "good things come in pairs". Odd-numbered amounts are generally associated with money given at funerals.
2. It is believed that the later children stay up on the eve of Chinese New Year, the longer their parents will live.
3. According to a legend, there is a New Year monster called Nian. Because, the monster fears the colour red, it became tradition for the Chinese to wear red to frighten it away.
4. Turning something upside down is known as "dao" in Mandarin, which sounds similiar to the Chinese word for "arrive". Turning the word upside down means that blessings will arrive.
5. The Mandarin word for mandarin organes is ju, which sounds like ji, meaning good luck. Another version is that oranges are called kam in Cantonese, which sounds like the Cantonese word for gold.