37 Auspicious Greetings for Everyone You May Meet During Chinese New Year

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If you haven’t had your fill of social events over December, Chinese New Year presents the perfect time to catch up with friends and families.

Wherever you go, one thing you cannot escape from is to spread the festive cheer with auspicious greetings. It’s ingrained into the Chinese New Year culture, partly out of courtesy (even to coworkers you’ve never laid eyes on before), but more so to impart good blessings to your loved ones. And what better way to do that than to pay them a visit (拜年) during the public holidays?

Chinese New Year festivities are fun but also frazzling, especially if you’re unprepared for the cacophony of noises and the flurry of events permeating homes and streets. But fear not; I’ve rounded up a list of fail-safe greetings that will keep you well-prepared for all the prospective red packets you run into. From creative sayings for the Year of the Snake to wishes of wealth and health for elders and more lighthearted greetings for friends–it’s time to wow your friends and family.

Tip: In Chinese culture, auspicious things come in even numbers (成雙成對), so go for a double whammy with two greetings–they sound more poetic anyway. Certain characters will also keep popping up in different greetings with highly similar meanings; after all, there are only as many auspicious words. If in doubt, pick ones from different categories to cover all your bases.

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Greetings for 2025, the Year of the Snake

Snakes give off mixed feelings–they are often seen as cunning and are probably the least likeable of all the Chinese zodiac animals. But spin it around, and their mysterious aura becomes wise and intuitive, often associated with deep thinkers and strategic planners.

  • 蛇年賀喜 – Greetings for the Year of the Snake

  • 蛇年大吉 – May you have good fortune in the Year of the Snake

  • 蛇年行運 – May you have good luck in the Year of the Snake

  • 蛇年進寶 – May you attract prosperity in the Year of the Snake

  • 蛇舞春風 – May the snake bring you new beginnings in spring

  • 蛇舞財源 – May the snake bring you wealth and prosperity

  • 蛇行天下 – May everything go smoothly for you

  • 蛇來運轉 – May the snake bring a turn of luck so everything goes smoothly

  • 蛇躍龍門 – May the snake help you overcome difficulties, breakthrough oneself, and flourish in your career

  • 龍蛇共舞 – May the snake bring good fortune and reunite loved ones

  • 金蛇吐寶 – May the golden snake bring wealth and good luck

  • 金蛇添壽 – May the golden snake bring good health and longevity

  • 金蛇呈祥 – May the golden snake bring happiness and peace in the beautiful year ahead

  • 靈蛇報喜 – May the spirit snake bless you with good news

  • 靈蛇納福 – May the spirit snake bring a peaceful and smooth year to your household

  • 福蛇迎春 – May the lucky snake welcome spring

  • 祥蛇獻瑞 – May the auspicious snake bring good luck

 

General Greetings

  • 新年快樂 – May your new year be joyful

  • 恭喜發財 – May you have prosperity and good fortune

  • 新年大吉 – May you have luck for the new year

  • 大吉大利 – May you have good luck with much profits

 

For Wealth

  • 財源廣進 – May wealth and prosperity roll in

  • 招財進寶 – May you attract wealth and prosperity

  • 富貴有餘 – May you be wealthy with abundance to spare

  • 年年有餘 – May you have surplus and abundance year after year

 

For Health

  • 身體健康 – May you have good health

  • 闔家平安 – May your entire family be safe and well

  • 歲歲平安 – May you have peace at every age

  • 快高長大 – May you grow tall and mighty soon 

 

For Happiness

  • 笑口常開 – May you be joyful and laugh often

  • 萬事如意 – May all go well with you

  • 心想事成 – May all your wishes come true

  • 五福臨門 – May the five blessings (longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a natural death) come to you

 

For Ambition

  • 一帆風順 – May all your endeavours be smooth 

  • 步步高升 – May you progress swiftly

  • 前程似錦 – May your future be bright

  • 飛黃騰達 – May you advance rapidly in your career


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Carmen Ho

Carmen started the blog as a place to encourage slow travel by storytelling her travel experiences. When she’s not at her desk, she divides her time between exploring the city she calls home and planning her next outing.

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