Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year decoration

Happy Chinese New Year! The year of the snake begins today.

It's impossible not to be aware of Chinese New Year while traveling in Asia. It's very much like our Christmas and New Year holiday season with the decorations, holiday music and shopping. In Thailand, they play popular Christmas songs so it feels like Christmas all over again. In one of the markets there was a huge decorated Christmas tree that was probably left there since Christmas and looks like it's recycled for Chinese New Year.

Mandarin oranges as tree decorations

The traditions for Chinese New Year are similar to Christmas traditions. Families come together to share festive meals and exchange gifts. Judging by what I've seen in all the shopping malls in various cities I've visited recently my guess is that the most popular gifts are sweets and among them Ferrero Rocher chocolates. Globalization goes all ways: Asian made clothing and shoes and electronics are available in Europe while European chocolates seem popular in Asia.

We were in Laos on the actual day of the Chinese New Year where the festive season wasn't so obvious. But I spotted some decorations and we definitely heard firecrackers and saw fireworks during the celebrations.