Thanksgiving in the Chinese New Year Season
The Chinese New Year season is a time of celebration, reunion, and renewal. Families gather across distances, homes are filled with laughter and festive cheer, and greetings of blessing and prosperity are exchanged. For Christians, this season is also a meaningful opportunity to reflect on thanksgiving—not only for material blessings, but for God’s faithfulness and grace throughout the year.
At the heart of many CNY traditions is family. As we honour parents, grandparents, and loved ones, we are reminded of God’s command to love and respect one another. Each reunion meal becomes more than a tradition; it is a moment to give thanks for relationships that God has entrusted to us. In expressing gratitude to our families, we also acknowledge God as the source of every good gift.
The season also calls us to extend thanksgiving beyond our homes. As we exchange greetings with friends, neighbours, and colleagues, we are reminded of Christ’s call to love our neighbours. Acts of kindness—sharing festive treats, offering help to those in need, or reaching out to the lonely—become living expressions of gratitude to God. Thanksgiving, in this sense, is not only spoken but lived.
As we step into a new lunar year, thanksgiving anchors our hearts in hope. Scripture reminds us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Even in challenges and uncertainties, we trust that God is at work, shaping our lives for His purposes. Where there are broken or strained relationships, this is a good time to recommit them to God and ask the Holy Spirit for divine opportunities to mend them.
In the midst of celebrations and new beginnings, may this CNY season lead us to deeper thanksgiving—to God, to one another, and in the way we live each day for His glory.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Philip Lim
President
National Council of Churches of Singapore