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Spring Festival in Hongkong There is now a big difference in the New Year traditions between Hongkong and inland China in terms of both activities and atmosphere. In recent years, two emblems of the lunar New Year tradition -- spring couplets and New Year paintings -- are no longer pasted on the door panels of the households, instead of which are a short quadrate red paper with four characters like "Sheng Yi Xing Long", which means prosperous business, or "Chu Ru Ping An", which means safe out and safe in. These are also auspicious wishes of successfulness and safety. Dragon dances and lion dances can now be only seen in some villages. Firework and firecracker display has long been forbidden in Hongkong, but the Victoria Harbor will witness a grand firework display on the night of the second day of the lunar New Year, which has been a 20-odd years' ritual for welcoming the Spring Festival. Hongkong is the "heaven to gastronomists", with an abundance of food coming from all over the world. Many food streets are open to serve various special foods during the festival. On New Year's Eve, the family member will get together to have the reunion dinner, after which it is customary for most of the families to visit the flower fair. The fair in the Victoria Park is the largest and jolliest. To the children, they find great delight in "begging for lishi sweets". Lishi is an auspicious word in Cantonese, symbolizing luck and propitiousness.
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