No new year celebration would be complete without a beautiful floral arrangement. Here, we chat with florist Yi Lian Ng — a former fashion editor with Harper’s Bazaar Singapore — on the best blooms to ring in the year of the rooster. Plus, learn all about traditions like red packets, pineapple tarts and — our favorite — wearing new clothes.

Growing up, my favorite Lunar New Year traditions included…
New clothes, new shoes, new pajamas, new underwear, new everything AND red packets filled with money — what’s not to like?! Also, the snacks of pineapple tarts, egg rolls and hotpot meals… SO MANY THINGS TO LOVE!

And new traditions I’ve started myself…
It’s technically not a “new” tradition, but I’ve started giving the elders red packets during Chinese New Year — why not since I’m financially independent? I’m also contemplating to start giving my nieces and nephews red packets too this CNY even though I’m unmarried (Chinese traditions are such that as long as you aren’t married, you are supposed to receive red packets, not give). But I think I’ll consult my mum first and see if she thinks it’s an “inauspicious” thing to do. Haha!

This year I’ll celebrate by…
Wearing brand new clothes on the first day of CNY again! Ever since I became a working adult who can afford new things, erm, all the time, the appeal of getting new clothes only on CNY got lost on me so I haven’t been bothered wearing new clothes on the first day of CNY, but I’ve already ordered the customized pieces for this year so I can’t wait!

Most popular flowers for a New Year celebration (and why)…
Pussy willows and lucky bamboos — they represent luck and prosperity and what Chinese person doesn’t dig that stuff?

And to celebrate the year of the rooster, I recommend…
Celosia! It has always reminded me of the comb of the rooster so that will be super appropriate for the year of the rooster. Also, a colorful palette consisting of the rooster’s colors, such as red and gold, and perhaps some feathers?

The lucky colors…
Red, pink, orange, yellow and gold.

The New Year superstitions I never fail to follow…
Never sweeping the floor with a broom on the first day of CNY!

I was inspired to become a florist when…
My bridesmaid duty was to look after the floral aspects of my good friend’s wedding four years ago. I had a few really nice compliments and my friends were egging me to do that as a real business. I put it off for a year before I finally decided to do it, but while juggling a full-time job for over a year I finally took the leap to handle the business full time! Now, I’ll have my first full-time employee coming onboard next month so, wow, life can be amazingly unexpected if you allow it to unravel in its own ways.

My tips to create a professional-looking arrangement at home…
Always mix the big highlight flowers with the small filler blooms to create depth to your arrangement. And always add foliage throughout and around the arrangement to create a sense of statement, so the results look bigger and more impressive!

My Chinese zodiac sign is…
The loyal dog!

Explore more features from the Lunar New Year Issue, past and present.