Canadian Smoked Salmon for Chinese New Year

If you are lucky enough to have a Chinese friend or family member, you may be looking for gift ideas for Chinese New Year. Gift-giving at Chinese New Year expresses good wishes for future health, happiness and prosperity. Below are some suggestions of appropriate gifts, one of which is Canadian smoked salmon!

If you are a guest in a Chinese household at Chinese New Year, it is very polite to bring a basket of fruits for your host. Include mandarin oranges, but no pears! Pears represent separation, so save them for a less symbolic occasion.

A bottle of spirits for the adults and candy for the children are also suitable household gifts. Ideally both should be boxed and wrapped in red paper.

Children are commonly given money in red envelopes. This tradition is usually observed within extended families, and less commonly by friends, but it won’t offend. So if it sounds like fun, pick up some traditional red envelopes in your local Chinatown.

Another good gift for children is a non-fiction book on any subject of interest to them – sports, dance, nature, etc. Good parents will view the gift as complimenting their child’s intelligence and pointing auspiciously to their future potential.

It is customary to dress in new clothes at Chinese New Year, so for a boyfriend or girlfriend a new article of clothing is a perfect gift. If possible choose something red, which is the colour of good fortune.

Nourishing foods are also an excellent gift at Chinese New Year. People give vitamins, healthful teas, ginseng, and other foods meant to confer good health on the recipient.

This, of course, is where Canadian smoked salmon comes to mind. What could be a more healthful and delicious Canadian gift for your Chinese friend? Wrap in red paper and give with wishes for health and long life!