The Chinese New Year is one of the most important times of the year in Macau, and as it is also one of the most celebrated festivals, coming with a long list of customs, traditions and rituals, varying between regions and communities.
While some customs might be a bit difficult to follow, there are some traditions that can be easily kept, such as family reunion dinners, spring cleaning, shopping for (and wearing) new clothes, giving out “lai see” (red envelopes with banknotes inside), decorating the home or office with flowers and hanging up red banners with couplets or blessings written on them.
Some families also put up a pair of posters of the “gods of doors” believed to scare away evil spirits from entering their homes.
While these are presented as paper prints today, the posters used to be made through woodblock printing.
Exhibits show the step-by-step process of woodblock printing of New Year prints. Photo: Monica Leong
