“Fai Chun” . Votive Papers Offering – 2025.01.15-16

The Rui Cunha Foundation opens the Gallery doors twice this year, on Wednesday and Thursday, January 15th and 16th, 2025, for the traditional “Fai Chun . Votive Papers Offering”, where people may come and collect their Chinese calligraphy messages for good luck, free of charge, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The event is co-organized with The Flora Garden Poetry Friends Association.

The population is invited to choose their best wishes aphorisms for good luck and prosperity, under the guidance of 37 local master calligraphers – such as Ung Choi Kun, Hong San San, Choi Vai Keng, and Ng Pio (Yum Fung Chan), President of the Association. Poets such as Ko Tak Kong, Chong Iat Fai and Yun Wing On will also create Spring Festival couplets on site, throughout the two days, under the celebrations of the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake.

Fai Chun (揮春) is a traditional decoration, often used during the Chinese New Year, which also marks the arrival of the spring season. In English it can be translated as Spring Wave. People put the Fai Chun on doors to create a festive and joyful atmosphere, as the calligraphic phrases mean good luck and prosperity. Typically, Fai Chun papers are red in color, with black or gold characters inscribed with a brush, aiming to protect the houses and wish good auspices for the year to come. Nowadays, printed and mass-produced versions are more frequent. They can be square or rectangular and hung vertically or horizontally, usually in pairs. Not only do they exist in China, but also in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, which begins on January 29th, 2025 (first day of the Chinese New Year) and lasts until February 16th, 2026. The Snake is the sixth of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. As we move from the dynamic and energetic Year of the Dragon, 2025 brings the calmness and intuition of the Snake, which symbolizes wisdom and transformation, offering opportunities for change and personal growth. Naturally strategic, people of this sign are excellent problem solvers and skilled communicators.

Snakes are also known for their ability to shed their skin, symbolizing the process of letting go of the old and embracing the new. This theme is expected to resonate throughout 2025, as individuals are encouraged to release their past baggage and embark on a journey of self-discovery.

Join us and pick up a pair of Fai Chun to put on your doorstep and greet the arrival of the Lunar New Year!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

For Macau, Further and Higher!