Children wearing red clothes put up window decorations at a kindergarten in Tongren, Guizhou Province to welcome the Spring Festival, January 18, 2024. /CFP
With the Spring Festival less than 20 days away, many people in China are getting ready to try out new looks, buying new clothes from head to toe to welcome the Year of the Dragon(Loong).
Traditionally, red clothing is a must for many people during the Chinese New Year, as it has long been considered a lucky color, where it represents strength and prosperity.
Nowadays, many children can be seen wearing red clothes throughout the Spring Festival holiday, as their parents believe it's a way to bring good luck for the entire year.
For adults who don't want to dress from head to toe in red, they can alternatively wear red underwear or socks, or even replace the insoles of their shoes with red ones.
A girl wearing red clothes puts up a piece of window decoration at a kindergarten in Tongren, Guizhou Province to welcome the Spring Festival, January 18, 2024. /CFP
In general, people tend to wear festive garments or new clothes to visit relatives and friends during the Spring Festival holiday.
New clothes symbolize the idea of change, new beginnings, and getting rid of the old, in line with many other aspects of the Spring Festival.
In ancient times, it was common for people to have just a few sets of clothes to wear for the entire year, but the Spring Festival was always a time to put on fresh, new clothes. Wives and mothers would start knitting and making new clothes for everyone in the family in early winter. Today, this tradition is replaced by shopping for new clothes or online shopping instead.
There are no specific criteria for what type or style of new clothes should be bought, but preferably they should be new, and not clothes that are torn or worn out.
Visitors dressed in festive hanfu costumes pose for a picture in Xi’an on January 14, 2024. /CFP
Dressing up in traditional hanfu costumes has become a popular pastime among many young Chinese people during festivals in recent years. Feeling a sense of connection to their cultural heritage, boys and girls use costumes to express their cultural identity.
These clothes are often bright and colorful, symbolizing happiness and good fortune, and are a perfect way to join in the celebratory atmosphere of the Spring Festival.
A retailer at Shanghai's Yuyuan Garden wears a loong-zodiac inspired hat to promote sales, January 22, 2024. /CFP
Tiger hats and their variations are also hot fashion items during the festival, which carry auspicious meanings. Tiger hats are a typical Chinese folk costume and an important part of Chinese children's clothing.
The ancient custom has now been combined with zodiac signs by innovative designers to create loong and rabbit hats favored by both children and adults alike.
What will you wear for the upcoming Spring Festival? Will you be dressed in red or new clothes? Let us know in the comment section.