“Come, it’s your turn to bai nian (pay your respects) to Grandpa and Grandma.”
“But what do I say?”
Does this sound like a familiar conversation between you and your children during Chinese New Year—particularly for those of us who struggle with the Chinese language ourselves?
We may not wish to offer a threadbare xīn nián kuài lè (新年快乐, happy new year). At the same time, we may not want our kids picking up phrases like the wry and materialistic gōng xǐ fā cái hóng bāo ná lái (恭喜发财 红包拿来, wishing you prosperity—now hand over my red packet!).
Those of us who celebrate Chinese New Year can use this occasion to heed the biblical instruction not to “let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up”
(Ephesians 4:29).
Here are five Chinese New Year greetings that we can prepare ourselves and our kids to recite—and to understand and teach our children from a biblical perspective:
1. Chūrù píng ān (出入平安, may your comings and goings be peaceful)
For many parents, the day begins with a hasty exit from the front door with children in tow. Having dropped them off at their grandparents’ place or school, we then make our way to our workplaces.
For some of us, the nature of our jobs may require frequent travel, such as to meet a client or inspect a site. Still others may need to travel overseas regularly for work.
In the course of our comings and goings, much can go wrong. We may leave an important item at home, or our train or bus may be delayed. The sight of an accident on the road can be a sobering reminder that our personal safety is far from guaranteed on our travels.
As Christians, however, we have the assurance that God will keep us safe through the hazards of our daily journeys. This New Year greeting has a particularly strong biblical resonance. In Psalm 121, the travelling Israelites sang, “The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (v. 8), to encourage themselves as they trekked to Jerusalem to worship at the temple.
Our journeys may feel routine, even boring, compared to the Israelites’ momentous travels to Jerusalem. But like them, we may say to one another, “Chū rù píng ān! In this new year, may God watch over your comings and goings, and keep you safe by His grace.”
What you can say to your child: “Grandpa goes to the market every morning to buy groceries, so that Grandma can cook yummy food for us. Tell him chū rù píng ān, and pray that God will keep him safe when he takes the bus and carries the groceries!”
2. Xīnxiǎng shì chéng (心想事成, may your aspirations find fruition)
Setting New Year’s resolutions can be a helpful practice. Last year, for instance, I set myself the modest goal of starting to read the Bible systematically again, committing to the use of a daily lectionary (mostly succeeding, by God’s grace). Other aspirations included keeping up with my gym regime and writing more regularly.
It’s good for us to have aspirations and hopes for the future. Scripture commends advance planning in Proverbs 21:5: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit.” Proverbs 16:9, too, notes as a matter of fact that “in their hearts humans plan their course”—which is immediately qualified with “but the LORD establishes their steps.”
Our Father can sanctify our plans and the desires of our hearts—if we truly entrust them to Him and submit all our aspirations to His loving providence.
Only the Lord can bring our aspirations to fruition. As believers, our aspirations must be guided by the pursuit of His purposes: to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). If loving God is our first and central aspiration, our other aspirations can never ultimately deviate too radically from His perfect will.
It is good, therefore, to echo the words of Psalm 20:4 as we wish one another well in the new year: “May [God] give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” Our Father can sanctify our plans and the desires of our hearts—if we truly entrust them to Him and submit all our aspirations to His loving providence.
What you can say to your child: “Your cousin says that he wants to do well in his PSLE this year. Let’s wish him xīn xiǎng shì chéng, and pray that God will help him to commit his grades to Him, and be a responsible and hardworking student!”
3. Shēntǐ jiàn kāng (身体健康, may you have good health)
(Used only with elders and older members of the family)
It is a stark reality that we all age, and with that, our health may decline with each passing year—especially for those of us who are older. Perhaps, a grandaunt who had been able to walk the year before now turns up in a wheelchair. Or, a cousin who has to skip the big family gathering because he is undergoing treatment for cancer.
We should, therefore, pray and show concern for the health of our loved ones.
Yet, a word of caution: we cannot make good health an end in itself—or we would be sorely disappointed.
Until Jesus returns to make all things new, there will still be death, mourning, crying, and pain (see Revelation 21:4).
While Scripture doesn’t promise everyone good health in the present, God has given us bodies to be used to their full potential—to enjoy His creation, love our neighbours, and glorify Him, with all our might. And we can recognise, with Paul, that “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things” (1 Timothy 4:8).
One day, for all who have trusted in Him, the Lord Jesus “will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body”
(Philippians 3:21). Then, we will all enjoy perfect health and life to the fullest.
What you can say to your child: “After you wish Auntie shēn tǐ jiàn kāng, tell her that you will pray that God will keep her healthy, so that she can continue to enjoy a fulfilling and satisfying retirement, okay?”
4. Kuàigāozhǎngdà (快高长大, may you speedily grow)
(Used only with younger children)
As parents, we enjoy watching our children grow. And one way we see that happening quite literally is when they grow taller. That’s why we might worry if our child is shorter than average—about whether we’ve fed them enough, or whether they might be bullied by their classmates for their height.
The Bible is realistic about how height affects the way society sees people—particularly men. Saul, the first king of Israel, stood out for his height, which impressed the people despite his timidity (see 1 Samuel 10:21–24).
When it came to identifying Saul’s successor, Samuel himself was impressed by Eliab’s stature, only to be told by God: “Do not consider his appearance or his height . . . The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (16:7).
In the example of David, we see that growth in height doesn’t correlate with another kind of growth—in maturity and the state of one’s heart. As a child, David was a skilled and courageous shepherd, competent in his work and defending his flock against predators. More importantly, he was someone who had learnt to place his trust in God.
Perhaps this new year, instead of remarking about how the kids in our family have grown in height, we could observe how they’ve grown in virtue.
As important as physical growth is, spiritual growth—the growth in our character—is the kind that ought to take up more of our attention as parents and children of God ourselves.
Perhaps this new year, instead of remarking about how the kids in our family have grown in height, we could observe how they’ve grown in virtue. For instance, we could praise our nieces and nephews for how they’ve become more considerate to their siblings, or more responsible in their use of free time.
Such is the growth we can wish our younger ones: that they would grow into the image of Christ, who in His own childhood grew “in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52).
What you can say to your child: “Tell meimei, kuài gāo zhǎng dà into someone who is like Jesus, who loves others and is strong and kind.”
5. Héjiā huān lè (阖家欢乐, may your household be filled with joy)
Chinese New Year is a time for joyous gatherings and reunions. Yet these occasions can also highlight the division and brokenness in our families, from awkward silences around the dinner table to uncomfortable conversations over the hotpot, and even pointed comments and comparisons.
The Bible doesn’t shy away from the sad reality of broken families. Even the families that played a key role in God’s dealings with His people were marred by discord and hate. Cain was jealous of his brother Abel, and sibling rivalry poisoned the relationship between Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s son Joseph was sold into slavery by his elder brothers, and later on in the Bible, Samuel’s sons were corrupt, disgracing him in his old age.
It is right for us to wish overflowing joy on our earthly families, and we can put that wish into practice by promoting harmony within them.
But the Bible also speaks of the joy that we can have when we experience harmony. Speaking of the unity God gives to His spiritual family,
Psalm 133 says: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head” (vv. 1–2).
Such harmony is a gift that can come only from God, who is the “one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:6). In His goodness, God can bless our earthly families with harmony, but He promises it to His family of believers, who are kept together in “the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (v. 3).
It is right for us to wish overflowing joy on our earthly families, and we can put that wish into practice by promoting harmony within them. We can do this by showing love to our relatives, avoiding speech that doesn’t build up, and chiefly by sharing the good news of Jesus with them—so that in time, they too may experience the spiritual unity that only God can bring.
What you can say to your child: “Tell Grandma, hé jiā huān lè! Let’s help that wish come true by remembering to call and visit her often, to cheer her up, and by telling her the good news that Jesus loves her very much!”
Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed Chinese New Year!
