Chinese New Year greeting cards

In the early 1950s, sending Chinese New Year greeting cards became a common practice in Singapore. This was a trend that may have been influenced by the tradition of sending Christmas cards.¹ At that time, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce even published notices urging the public to send their cards early to avoid postal delays,² at the request of post offices.

In the past, Chinese New Year greeting cards were sold in bookshops, stationery shops, book stalls in the five-foot ways of shophouses, and Chinese New Year markets. They were bought mainly by students and young people. Some of these cards were designed and printed locally, while others were imported from Hong Kong and Taiwan. There were also others commissioned by entertainment companies and businesses for their own use. Trendy young men and women with the means to do so would also order customised cards from photo studios, printed with their own portraits.

Mainstream Chinese New Year cards

Chinese New Year cards are typically red, a festive colour, and feature auspicious images and blessings printed in gold. Most of these blessings convey warm wishes for a happy, prosperous, and successful New Year.

Commonly-used auspicious images include animals from the Chinese zodiac; koi fish or carp jumping over the Dragon’s Gate to symbolise success; cranes and pine trees to symbolise longevity; birds and flowers to symbolise reawakening and blossoming as spring returns; and the God of Wealth as well as the Fu, Lu, and Shou deities (of fortune, prosperity, and longevity respectively) to symbolise abundance and happiness. Images of a sailing ship were also once popular, harking back to the days when early settlers set sail for distant shores in search of a better life, and symbolising smooth sailing in all endeavours as well as safe arrivals.

Aside from these common motifs, some cards also feature designs that reflect the times, serving as important historical records of how society has evolved.

Post-war Chinese New Year cards

The local rubber industry expanded rapidly in the early 1950s as a result of the Korean War. As the economy grew, so did the standard of education in Singapore. Although there was still a significant wealth gap and many people were just getting by, there was a general sense of optimism and hope for the future, which was reflected in Chinese New Year cards.

One example was a coloured card, slightly larger than a business card, that depicted a Japanese fighter jet with the words “long live peace” and captured the desire for peace in the post-war period. Around the same time, a black-and-white card printed in 1953 featured the sender’s portrait and name and expressed the hope that the recipient would not forget the person in the photo.

During this period, Chinese New Year cards commonly featured standard well wishes, like “happy new year” or “good luck in the new year”. Some greetings were more poetic, such as: “The new year shines brilliantly, and we wish you dance in happiness, with luck and fortune growing brighter each day”.

Chinese New Year cards with portraits of the senders were popular until the early 1970s. During this period, greetings more directly reflected everyday life, such as the bilingual English and Chinese greeting “wishing you success in winning your lottery in the coming year”. Some photographic Chinese New Year cards had sheet music printed on the back to convey the well wishes of the senders through songs.

New Year greetings by artistes

From the late 1950s to the 1970s, cinemas were a common sight in Singapore’s downtown area and the three amusement parks (New World Amusement Park, Great World Amusement Park, and Gay World Amusement Park). There were also open-air cinemas in rural areas, and watching movies became a popular pastime.

Entertainment companies often arranged for their artistes to perform on stage to publicise their movies. For instance, film studios Great Wall, Feng Huang, and Sun Luen sent a troupe of artistes known as The Movie Star Arts Troupe to perform at the National Theatre. Colourful Chinese New Year cards featuring the movie stars were then released and given away with the tickets or albums sold.

From kampungs to cities

In the early days of independence, the government built many factories and HDB flats all over Singapore. Chinese New Year cards from the 1960s and 1970s featured images and themes of kampungs, the cityscape and tourist attractions, or watercolours and drawings of the old and new landscape. Bank buildings along the Singapore River, the changing face of Chinatown, MacRitchie Reservoir, Mount Faber, the Cathay Building, and the Istana were all common elements on cards.

Chinese New Year cards from the 1970s and 1980s also featured scenes and landscapes from China, and the words were often embossed in gold to give them a more three-dimensional feel.³

Chinese New Year cards reflecting ‘new society’

In the 1970s, popular culture from China had some influence on local literary youth. The themes of Chinese New Year cards from this period reflected “new society”: China’s different ethnic groups, landmark buildings, papercutting, Chinese acrobatics, famous personalities, workers, farmers and soldiers, and Lu Xun’s poetry. Inspiring and instructive slogans were commonly seen, such as: “If you’ve got dirt on your face, wipe it off; if you’ve got faults, change yourself. Let’s keep an eye on each other in the new year and become better together”. These cards were a sign of the times and especially popular with local cultural organisations.

There were also cards with locally composed songs on the back, so that people could get together to sing anytime.⁴One such song was Yingchun (Welcoming Spring), whose lyrics went: “United in spirit and effort to stage performances, through storms and trials, another year has passed. The people’s art remains evergreen, adversities only strengthen our resolve. Endless dark nights do not deter us, for once the harsh winter ends, spring is here anew!”

With the advent of technology, Chinese New Year cards are no longer as common as they once were. However, unique handmade cards have not become obsolete — they provide a snapshot of the times while preserving emotional ties between sender and recipient.