For those who follow the lunar calendar, this year’s new year falls on Sunday, January 22, and includes 15 days of celebrations. Many of the traditions centre on food, lanterns, and dragon dances, but there is a large amount of floral lore that surrounds this Chinese holiday.

People clean their homes in preparation for the new year, and fill them with fresh flowers. They’re typically placed in vases and people walk around the blooms to have their wishes fulfilled for the year ahead. Many of the significant flowers are coming into season at this time, so the New Year also symbolizes the coming of spring. Let’s look at the top 5 varieties associated with the holiday.

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1. Narcissus are the most auspicious flowers for the lunar new year, and look and smell beautiful. They can range from white to the most vibrant of yellows and are also known as water fairy flowers or more commonly, daffodils. They represent good fortune and prosperity.

2. Plum blossoms, or Sakura flowers are vibrant and pink, and bloom even during cold weather. As a result, they have come to represent perseverance, growth and reliability. 

3. Popular for all new beginnings, orchids are often presented as gifts at this time of year, to represent beauty, luxury, fertility and abundance.

4. Fiery red gladiolas represent growth in your career and self-development, so a great one to self-gift.

5. Pussy willows are also very common, and represent incoming prosperity, growth and, of course, point to the beginning of spring.

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Gong Hei Fat Choi! 

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