Chinese New Year doesn’t ease in quietly; it bursts into our homes with laughter, movement, and noise. This season moves quickly, carrying laughter, conversations, and generations under one roof. As a family photography team, this festive season holds a special place in our hearts, not just professionally, but personally.
Behind every family photo we take during Chinese New Year, we bring our own memories of reunion dinners, laughter, childhood excitement, and moments that only happen once a year. This season reminds us why documenting family matters so deeply. Here’s a glimpse into some of our team members’ favourite Chinese New Year traditions and the moments that shaped how we see family today.
Grace: Creating the Scene for Togetherness
For Grace, Chinese New Year begins with intention.
“I love taking the time to set up a nice Chinese New Year backdrop for a family photo,” she shares. “It’s not just about decorations and props, but more about creating a space where people naturally gather.”
From carefully chosen red accents to thoughtful details that frame a family just right, Grace sees the backdrop as more than a visual element. It becomes a place where generations stand side by side, where some straighten their clothes, others laugh nervously, and children wiggle with excitement.
That quiet preparation mirrors what Chinese New Year is really about: making room for family to come together. Years later, when the backdrop fades into the background, what remains is the togetherness it helped capture.
Bin Bin: Cousins, Connection, and Coming Home
Growing up with a large extended family, Bin Bin’s Chinese New Year was a blur of reunion dinners, greetings, and rooms filled to the brim. “I’ve been blessed with great memories of playing with my cousins when I was young,” she says. “Because we live across multiple states, Chinese New Year is one of the few occasions when everyone makes the effort to come home.”
Those reunions were about the continuity of traditions. Games that lasted all afternoon, shared snacks, and late-night conversations created bonds that lasted well beyond the festive season. What makes these memories even more meaningful now is seeing the next generation continue the tradition. “I’m grateful that I’ve maintained close relationships with my cousins,” Bin Bin adds, “and I’m so glad to see our children playing together during Chinese New Year.”
It’s a reminder that family photos don’t just capture people at that point in time, they capture relationships that stretch across years and generations.
Leong Wai: The Universal Joy of Angpaus
Some traditions need no explanation. “Receiving angpaus,” Leong Wai says with a smile. The joy of crisp red packets, the anticipation of opening them, and the playful comparisons between cousins are universal experiences for many of us. But beyond the money, angpaus represent blessings, love, and the hopes elders place on the next generation. In photos, angpaus often appear as small details, clutched in tiny hands or slightly peeking out of the pocket, but they tell a larger story of care and continuity.
Abel: A Table of Traditions
For Abel, Chinese New Year is remembered through the rituals at the reunion dinner table. His mom would always cook arrowhead with Chinese sausage, a dish that only appeared during the festive season. There is also one rule that remains the same : the entire reunion dinner has to be eaten with chopsticks, no forks or spoons allowed. Looking back, those small rules are what made Chinese New Year feel different from every other meal of the year.
Ian: The Unexpected Joy of Pizza
For Ian, Chinese New Year was more than the traditional Chinese dishes. “When I was younger, I rarely had pizza,” he laughs. “So I actually looked forward to eating pizza during Chinese New Year, along with other non-Chinese dishes like mutton and satay.” It’s a small memory, but a powerful one. It speaks to how Chinese New Year isn’t rigid but it evolves with each family. What mattered wasn’t what was on the table, but the feeling of abundance, excitement, and permission to indulge in something special. Those unexpected traditions often become the ones we remember most. And when captured in photos, they tell future generations something important: family traditions don’t have to look a certain way to be meaningful.
Jon: Fireworks, Freedom, and Childhood Wonder
Jon’s Chinese New Year memories sparkle, yes, quite literally. “My parents would always buy me fireworks from a cake shop,” he recalls. “I’d carry a plastic bag full of fireworks to my grandma’s house and have the time of my life with my cousins.” The excitement of holding that bag, the smell of gunpowder, the thrill of lighting fireworks together, the definition of pure childhood joy. Those moments weren’t planned or posed, but they shaped his fondest memories of the festive season. Today, those carefree moments live on through old photos and stories retold at family gatherings. It’s a reminder that what feels like chaos at the time often becomes the most treasured memory later.
Why These Stories Matter
Chinese New Year isn’t just one day (or fifteen days). It’s a collection of precious moments, some loud, some quiet. These moments shape how we remember family. These personal traditions are why we believe so deeply in photographing families during this season. Because one day, today’s children will talk about their own favourite memories. And photos will help them remember not just how it looked, but how it felt. This Chinese New Year, whether it’s your first reunion in years or another familiar gathering, we’re here to help you preserve these moments, especially when these are the ones that come home only once a year.
