I DON’T know how “Kong Hei Fat Choy” became the “standard” greeting on Chinese New Year. “Standard” in the sense that it’s used in every print ad, poster or signage in celebration of Chinese New Year here in the Philippines. But “Kong Hei Fat Choy” is Cantonese, which is the least spoken—and therefore the least relatable—dialect among local Chinese, aka Chinoys, as compared to Hokkien or Mandarin. Although there, indeed, is a local Cantonese population, “Kentang-ah” as we call them in Hokkien, the overwhelming majority of Chinoys are Hokkien-speaking who learned Mandarin in school. The better version therefore should be “Kiong Hee Hoat Chai” (Hokkien) or “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (Mandarin and more universal in the Chinese speaking world).
The amazing thing about the Chinese language is whether one speaks Cantonese, Hokkien or Mandarin, the characters are the same! “Kiong Hee/ Gong Xi/ Kong Hei” means “congratulations” or “celebrating/ rejoicing with you.”
We Chinese use this phrase to greet each other on practically ALL happy occasions—the birth of a child, business inauguration, wedding, graduation, birthday etc. “Hoat/ Fa/ Fat” means to produce or be fruitful. “Chai/ Cai/ Choy” means treasures or wealth. So when you greet someone “Kiong Hee Hoat Chai/Gong Xi Fa Cai,” you’re telling them “Congratulations! May you be prosperous!” No specific mention of the new year, but it’s implicit. The literal translation of Happy New Year is “Sin Ni Khoai Lok” (Hokkien) or “Xin Nian Kuai Le” (Mandarin), composed of entirely different characters.
Kiong Hee Hoat Chai/Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!