Tea is essential to Chinese new year celebration. In every corner of the world where there are Chinese, you find tea.
In China and other places that are densely populated with Chinese, you will find green tea, oolong and pu-erh easily.
These 3 teas are popular amongst Chinese. In Chinese new year celebration, these teas are often served to welcome friends and family into homes to celebrate Chinese new year together.
Other Chinese new year rituals include giving (kids) red pocket money, a big family feast, eating Leen Go (sweet rice cake), putting up red banners with blessings and where permitted, light up red firecrackers.
Tea is a gift of health, and is also used in other traditional Chinese ceremonies such as wedding (giving tea to parents to drink). If you are kung fu movie buffs, you might have also seen kungfu students offering tea to masters to drink when they are first accepted as a student into the master's school.
There isn't a specific tea that Chinese drink for Chinese new year.
From my own experience being a Hong Kong born Chinese, I remember one aunt loves to serve Chinese Red tea (similar taste like our Thinking of You, only stronger), and another uncle serves pu-erh and yet another Jasmine green tea.
It is what the tea represents - the hospitality and connection of handing a guest a cup of steamy hot tea to connect, and say "thanks for coming".
A time to catch up, a time to care and share some laughs. Very similar to Christmas family gathering.
And if you are curious about what animal year is 2018, it is the year of Dog. You can find out more about Chinese horoscope for 2018 here. Here is a 2018 prediction snapshot from these guys as well:
