Top 5 Flower Ideas for Chinese New Year

The right flowers can make your Chinese New Year all the more festive, mama! Here are some expert tips on the best blooms to bring you prosperity and fortune in the year to come.

In China (and much of Singapore) in the days and weeks prior to the start of the New Year, homes are cleaned thoroughly and rooms are decorated with floral compositions, fruits, sweets and live plants. All these elements in the home are believed to bring good luck and good fortune in the coming year. Blooming flowers symbolise the rebirth that will take place with the coming spring. Here, expert floral designer Madina from Moss&Rose Eco-Chic Events and Design offers you several floral compositions to make your home look more festive and cheerful.

1. We chose this combination firstly because it’s all-tropical, consisting mostly of locally grown flowers: ginger, birds of paradise, kumquats, anthuriums and decorative pineapple. Kumquats and pineapple symbolise abundance, happiness and prosperity. Red colour signifies joy and good fortune. 

2. Another good option for CNY decoration is to use the Kalanchoe plant. Just put it into a nice vase and you can use this arrangement to decorate your dinner table. Kalanchoe is very significant in Chinese culture and symbolises wealth, prosperity and long life. 

3. Pussy willows and tulips are not a traditional Chinese combination, yet pussy willow symbolises the beginning of biological new year and coming abundance. And tulips just make this composition look very soft and gentle.

4. Narcissus bulbs waiting to blossom are very important for CNY, symbolising prosperity and good luck.

5. Coxcombs (Celosia cristata), gloriosa, branches and amaryllis: A splash of red for prosperity, devil fight and strong health. The Chinese believe that the rooster (coxcomb flower) has the ability to ward off evil spirits as it crows at the break of dawn. Additionally, the word rooster (鸡) rhymes with the word luck (吉) in Chinese, thus making it a traditional favorite for the festive season.

Enjoy your celebration of CNY and don’t forget to spread the wealth with hongbaos. Just remember that the amount of money you share cannot be in odd numbers and the number 4 should not appear in the amount, i.e. 4, 44, 40, or 400… etc.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, mamas!