Chinese New Year, otherwise known as Lunar New Year, is the biggest event on the calendar when it comes to holidays in Asia, specifically China. It is a time of year when families come together, give gifts to each other (usually red pockets), and celebrate the year that was. The holiday is particularly important to those who are Chinese in Australia to reaffirm their Chinese identity and celebrate their culture. Of the 1.4m Chinese residing in Australia, including those born in China, and those born here, some speak Mandarin, Cantonese or just English; the holiday represents something special that unites this diverse community.
One element of the holiday that is unanimously enjoyed is the food and lots of it. Food plays a central role in Chinese New Year celebrations, transcending regional and cultural differences within the Chinese-speaking world. In addition to the incredible variety of food that brings families and communities together during this time, traditions are also incredibly important to family units on these holidays. This includes giving red envelopes (filled with money), watching Lion and Dragon dances, Cleaning the house, decorating your house in red, lighting fireworks and firecrackers, wearing new clothes and visiting your temple. These traditions emphasise themes of renewal, family and prosperity, uniting the community for this special time.
This presents an opportune time to thoughtfully engage with the Chinese community through bespoke messaging and engagement strategies. Aligning your messaging with Chinese New Year values, traditions and cultures at such an incredibly poignant time of year, allows you to authentically engage with an incredibly large and influential part of multicultural Australia.
Leba offers comprehensive solutions to assist you in targeting the Chinese community this Chinese New Year, whether it be through Traditional Press, Radio, TV, locally owned Digital sources, Leba Programmatic Digital or our diverse and unique Chinese Social offerings. Please reach out if you would like to learn more.