FOLLOW EAST ASIAN PEOPLES
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Chinese New Year is the most important holiday to Chinese people. Traditionally, it is referred to as "Spring Festival" as it marks the beginning of spring according to the Chinese calendar. During this holiday, families come back together to enjoy wonderful food, fun and fellowship. Celebration styles vary according to location but typically include: fireworks, dragon dancing, red envelopes with money and more. This holiday is so important that many other non-Chinese countries in East Asia also have elaborate celebrations welcoming Chinese tourists from all over.

Plan now to make the coming "Year of the Dragon" a special one in your community.

Chinese New Year Greeting Card

Print out these evangelistic resources to give to Chinese people in your community.

Chinese traditional characters
8.5" X 11" paper
A4 size paper

Chinese simplified characters
8.5" X 11" paper
A4 size paper

English
8.5" X 11" paper
A4 size paper

"Hong Bao"

Hong bao, or red envelopes, are a symbol of good luck and special blessing given on special occasions such as Chinese New Year. They are filled with varying amounts of money for the recipient.

Download the envelope template Download the Caravan version.

Are you a leader?

Go to the Resource Room to discover more Chinese New Year Resources you can use to build awareness of the East Asian Peoples.

Want to know more?

Check out our last year's Chinese New Year coverage at ...blog-news-archive/cny2011/

Chinese New Year in your community

Eight Ways to befriend Chinese in your community during Chinese New Year

by Emily Stockton | December 26, 2011

The Chinese Lunar New Year on January 23, 2012, is the perfect holiday to build friendships with Chinese neighbors in your community. The holiday is as important to Chinese as Christmas is to Americans, and Chinese people living away from their homeland often find it to be a lonely time. Consider some of these ideas for how God may work through you to extend a hand of friendship to the Chinese where you live, for His glory.

  1. Give greeting cards. Greeting cards are often exchanged at Chinese New Year. If none are available in your neighborhood, print out one here or make your own out of red construction paper, glitter and glue.

    Take them to Chinese students studying in local colleges, to the Chinese doctor in your community, to Chinese workers at the fast food place at the mall or at Chinese restaurants in your city, to other businesses where you've seen Chinese people, or to the family who lives on your block. Whether the Chinese have been in your country for generations or are newly arrived, they will appreciate that you thought of them on their special day.
  2. Invite Chinese students to your home for dinner. Whether you serve Chinese food or Italian spaghetti, your invitation will open doors of friendship you never imagined possible!
  3. Throw a party. Throw a party for Chinese students at your church. The evening of Sunday, January 22nd – Chinese New Year's Eve – would be an ideal time to bring together Chinese students who are away from home, missing their New Year's Eve family reunion dinner.
  4. Get fired up! If fireworks are allowed in your community, set them off along with your Chinese friends on Chinese New Year's Eve. Watch them smile!
  5. Learn to cook Chinese. If you are up for the challenge, ask Chinese friends if they would like to prepare a simple Chinese dish – fried rice, spring rolls or dumplings, for example – in your kitchen. Ask them ahead of time what ingredients need to be purchased, and visit an Asian grocery store or market, if you can, to purchase the items. As you keep an open mind and are accepting of their culture, you will most likely also enjoy a culinary treat.
  6. Give the best gift! Give Chinese or bilingual Bibles to the Chinese people in your community as Chinese New Year gifts. You can purchase these from www.biblica.org or www.bibles.com or at your favorite bookseller. If your friend is originally from Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan, they will be able to read Bibles written in traditional Chinese characters. If they are from China or Singapore, they will read Bibles written in simplified Chinese characters.

    Free Chinese Bible apps for smartphones can be downloaded too. Learn more by going to www.youversion.com/mobile

    Free bilingual books of Luke written in English and easy-to-read simplified Chinese (Putonghua version) are available while supplies last. Order them at http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/3810.
  7. Bake some goodies. Bake, decorate and give sweets for the holiday. Chinese generally like to eat cake and cookies. Consider reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe to suit their tastes.
  8. Think long-term. Think of ways that you can continue your new relationship with your Chinese friends. Invite them to a Bible study, connect them to English/ESL classes at your church if they are learning English, help their children get involved at activities at your church, or bring your Chinese friends along to your church's activity center to meet others. Your long-term friendships with Chinese people will open avenues for sharing Christ. They are often forgotten people within your community, people who may have never had the Good News shared with them. Be the one to share with them.

Put on your thinking caps, make a list of Chinese people you can approach, and make this Chinese New Year the one that changes their lives (and yours) forever!

From January 19-24, T.Y. Po will be posting live updates from his Chinese New Year visit with his extended family in Hong Kong. Be sure to check back then for the coverage (the feature will be hosted on our sister site, AsiaStories.com).