Chinese New Year 2016 marks the start of the year of the Monkey. Easily the most colourful, decadent and celebratory holidays of all cultures, Chinese New Year includes a 15 day long period of festivities involving food, dancing and of course, fireworks.

In Chinese mythology a terrifying beast known as the ‘Nian’ would appear at the start of ever year and eat the villagers, favouring the children most of all. To protect themselves, the villagers would place food outside of their homes as an offering to the Nian, and in turn it would leave them be. One day a man received a message from a God, telling him that the Nian was afraid of the colour red and to attach red paper to the outside of his house. From that year onwards, when the New Year was about to come, the villagers wore red clothing, hung red lanterns and decorations, and set off red firecrackers to frighten the Nian away.

This is why red is such a prominent colour in China at this time of year. Gold is also popular, as it represents prosperity and wealth. Gifts are swapped between friends and families (usually biscuits, candy or chocolate) and young people receive money in red envelopes from their elders.

To really get into the spirit of Chinese New Year, we suggest wearing lots of red and gold. Our stunning Caviar 60 Denier Fashion Tights combine both of these iconic colours, for a look that will get you noticed. For a more subtle nod to the occasion, a simple pair of bold, red tights will do the trick. Gipsy's 100 Denier Luxury Opaque Tights come in a beautiful warm red, as do their 40 Denier Coloured Opaque Tights, for a less heavy finish.