10 Office Game Ideas to Celebrate Chinese New Year in 2025 at Work

As an employer, celebrating CNY can be a great opportunity to foster a positive workplace culture and strengthen team spirit.

Whether your team is working from the office or remotely, Chinese New Year offers a chance to engage employees in fun and meaningful activities that promote teamwork, boost morale, and enhance employee loyalty.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of celebrating CNY at work and provide creative ideas to make your office or virtual space festive and inclusive.

The Benefits of Celebrating Chinese New Year at Work

Chinese New Year celebrations at work offer several advantages for employees and employers alike.

These celebrations go beyond the festivities, enhancing your organization's culture and performance. Here’s how celebrating CNY can benefit your workplace:

Builds Teamwork

CNY activities such as potluck lunches and team games encourage collaboration and teamwork.

These activities foster communication and cooperation, helping employees build stronger relationships with their colleagues.

Boosts Employee Loyalty

Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to stay with the company.

By celebrating Chinese New Year and making employees feel valued, you can increase employee loyalty and retention.

Improves Company Image

Celebrating CNY and other cultural events shows your company's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This can improve your brand image, making you more attractive to prospective talent.

Increases Employee Engagement

Festive activities create excitement and can boost employee morale.

When employees engage in fun, culturally rich activities, they feel more motivated and connected to the company.

Supports a Positive Work Culture

Chinese New Year celebrations promote a sense of unity and inclusivity.

A positive and supportive work culture leads to higher employee satisfaction and overall happiness in the workplace.

10 Fun Ideas for Celebrating Chinese New Year in the Office

Whether your team is in the office or working remotely, there are numerous ways to make your workplace festive and fun.

Here are some creative ideas to celebrate CNY with your employees:

1. Organize a Festive Lunch or Potluck

Source: Cozymeal

Food is a big part of Chinese New Year celebrations. Organizing a festive lunch or potluck can help bring your team together.

Consider hosting a buffet with traditional CNY dishes like dumplings, yee sang (prosperity salad), or roast pork.

Alternatively, invite employees to bring CNY-themed dishes from their culture, allowing them to share their culinary traditions.

Tip: Make sure to provide dietary options like vegetarian, vegan, or halal foods to cater to all employees.

2. Host a Chinese New Year Decoration Contest

Source: Poly APAC Singapore

Transform your office into a festive space by decorating with traditional CNY decorations like red lanterns, paper cuttings, and couplets.

A decoration contest can make the process fun and engaging, with teams competing for the best-decorated workspace.

Pro Tip: Offer small prizes like gift cards to motivate participation and keep the event exciting.

3. Organize a “Yee Sang” Tossing Session

Source: Sunway Group

Yee Sang is a must-have dish during Chinese New Year.

It’s a fun and interactive tradition where everyone tosses the ingredients while shouting “Lou Hei!” for good fortune and prosperity.

You can organize a Yee Sang tossing session in the office or even for remote employees by sending out Yee Sang kits for a virtual celebration.

Pro Tip: Send Yee Sang kits to remote employees to join the tossing session virtually.

4. Set Up a Chinese New Year Photo Booth

Source: cloud booth

A festive photo booth is a fun way for employees to take pictures and create memories.

Use props like red lanterns, traditional clothing, and paper fans.

You can also create a social media hashtag to encourage employees to share their photos online.

5. Host a Chinese New Year Storytelling Session

Invite an expert or an employee to share the legends and myths surrounding Chinese New Year, such as the story of the Nian monster or the significance of the Chinese zodiac.

Storytelling sessions can be both educational and fun for employees.

Source: Incorp

6. Distribute Fortune Cookies with Personalized Messages

Fortune cookies are a great way to add a touch of fun to the celebration.

Place a fortune cookie with motivational messages or fun fortunes on each employee's desk.

This lighthearted activity can spread positivity and joy in the workplace.

7. Organize a Red Packet (Ang Pow) Exchange

Red packets (ang pow) are an iconic part of Chinese New Year.

Introduce a red packet exchange in the office, where employees exchange small gifts such as snacks, coupons, or vouchers.

This activity is a fun and meaningful way to wish colleagues good luck.

Source: LAT Multilingual

8. Invite a Chinese Cultural Dance Performance

A cultural dance performance, such as lion or dragon dances, can liven up the office and add a visual element to the celebration.

You can invite a local cultural group to perform, or even organize a smaller indoor performance in the office.

Source: Red Shell Management

9. Host a Chinese Tea Tasting Session

Set up a Chinese tea station where employees can sample different types of tea such as oolong, jasmine, or pu-erh.

A tea tasting session is a relaxing way to connect with the cultural aspects of Chinese New Year.

Source: Dragon Girl Tea

10. Organize a Chinese Calligraphy Workshop

Source: Online Store

Chinese calligraphy is an ancient art, and it’s a creative way to engage employees.

Set up a station with calligraphy supplies and encourage employees to try writing traditional Chinese characters like “福” (Fu, meaning good luck) or “春” (Chun, meaning spring).

5 Fun Ideas for Celebrating Chinese New Year with Remote Teams

1. Virtual Red Packet Giveaways

Host a virtual red packet giveaway where managers can send digital gift cards or e-vouchers to remote employees as a gesture of good luck and appreciation.

This is an easy and fun way to bring the traditional practice of giving red packets to remote teams.

Tools:

Treat (for Malaysia): https://www.treat.com.my/
GiftUp!: https://www.giftup.app/
Amazon Gift Cards: https://www.amazon.com/gift-cards

2. Online Chinese Cooking Class

Arrange a virtual Chinese cooking class where employees can learn how to prepare traditional Chinese New Year dishes, such as dumplings or yee sang, with a professional chef. This is a fun and interactive activity that can bring everyone together, even virtually.

Tools:

Zoom: https://zoom.us/
Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/
Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software

3. Chinese Zodiac Personality Test

Host a virtual session where employees can take a Chinese zodiac personality quiz to learn about their Chinese zodiac sign and what it means.

This can be a fun and light-hearted way to engage with team members and share cultural knowledge.

Tools:

SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/
Google Forms: https://www.google.com/forms/about/

4. Virtual Chinese New Year Karaoke Party

Set up a virtual karaoke session where team members can sing traditional CNY songs or popular Chinese tunes.

Whether they sing solo or duet, it’s a fun way to break the ice and celebrate together.

Tools:

Karaoke Party: https://www.karaokeparty.com/
Singa: https://singa.com/

5. CNY-Themed Virtual Backgrounds

Encourage employees to use Chinese New Year-themed virtual backgrounds for their video calls.

These could include red lanterns, fireworks, or the zodiac animals. You can even turn it into a competition by offering a prize for the best background.

Tools:

Zoom: https://zoom.us/
Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software
Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/

Tips for Making the Celebration Inclusive

Celebrating Chinese New Year at work can be a fun experience for everyone.

However, it’s essential to ensure that your celebration is inclusive and respectful of all employees, regardless of their cultural background.

1. Acknowledge Different Cultural Traditions

Remember that not all employees celebrate Chinese New Year, so take the time to explain the significance of the holiday and invite employees to share their own cultural traditions.

2. Respect Dietary Preferences

Make sure to provide food options that accommodate dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, vegan, or halal choices.

This ensures that everyone can participate and enjoy the celebration.

3. Focus on Fun, Not Pressure

While celebrating together is a great team-building opportunity, remember that participation should be optional.

Make the celebration feel inclusive, not mandatory, and avoid putting pressure on employees who may not celebrate Chinese New Year for personal or cultural reasons.

Celebrating Chinese New Year at work is an opportunity to unite your team, show appreciation, and make the office environment more fun and engaging.

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