Chinese New Year is just around the corner, falling on 1 Feb 2022 this year, to welcome the year of the Tiger.
If you grew up in a Chinese household, it is a common scene to see the elderly busy with preparations to welcome the new year. They include spring cleaning, cooking auspicious food, decor and many more.
Even though there is no concrete evidence their effectiveness, many people are still following these traditions over many generations.
There is always a reason or symbolism behind all these activities, so let’s learn more.
1. Spring Cleaning and Decluttering
The Chinese believed an overhaul spring cleaning of their house before New Year’s Day is necessary. This is because any cleaning done on the New Year’s Day itself washes away good luck.
It will also remove the negative energy in the house that has been collected over the year. There are even auspicious dates and procedure to follow for spring cleaning. Decluttering is the key to achieving good house Feng Shui too.
2. Adorn Your Home with Auspicious Decorations
It is time to spruce your home with some good luck symbols as decors to usher in good fortune. The most popular one is the Fu character, that is often seen pasted on doors or windows. Many people like to put it in an inverted position because it sounds like “Good Fortune is Coming” in Chinese. You can also get some spring couplets with auspicious wordings too.
You can also get some lucky flowers to decor your house. Choose those with auspicious meanings and your intention too. If you need help to choose the right ones, refer to our list of auspicious plants and flowers for CNY.
3. Wear Red or Bright Color / No Black Please
Red is always being considered as an auspicious color in the Chinese culture. You’ll see it many decors in red during the period of the lunar New Year. Besides attracting good luck, it is also a symbol of happiness, vitality, and longevity.
Do not wear black unless you want to get scolded or nagging from the elderly.
4. Tradition of Giving Red Envelopes
Do you know that giving out Hong Bao, red envelopes with money inside brings good luck to both parties? It blesses the person who receives as well as the one who gives.
It is a common tradition for the parents and grandparents to prepare some red packets to give away to their kids and grandkids. Those married couples (regardless your age) to give to the kids and even cousins (even older than) who are still singles. In short, just give your blessing and you will be blessed too. Always give it on a happy note and willingly.
5. No Showering on the First Day of the New Year
Eek! This is one of the oddest superstitions (I choose not to follow), especially not washing my hair on Chinese New Year. This superstition comes from a Chinese idiom that is “getting yourself into hot water,” or a bad situation. Will you follow it?
There are more traditions and supersitions on what you should not be doing on the first day of the lunar new year.
6. Bank Deposit on Li Chun Day (立春)
This phenomenon is widely seen in Singapore and some Asian countries in the past few years. You notice that there are long queues at cash deposit machines or branches to deposit their money on this special day.
According to some belief, it will bring you good wealth luck in the coming year if you deposit money on this day. But personally, I feel that you still need to put in effort and work hard to earn what you want. But no harm joining just for the fun.
There are even auspicious timings based on your Chinese Zodiac animal signs to deposit the money on Li Chun Day.
7. Mandarin Oranges Bring Good Fortune
Many households keep a bowl filled with mandarin oranges on the table and offer them to visitors during the New Year’s celebration. Mandarin oranges are a symbol of prosperity, good fortune and longevity.
8. Pay Your Bills / Money You Have Borrow
It is an auspicious sign to pay off all your bills/loans to start your new year afresh. You might be surprised that the friends who have owed you money will contact you automatically just before the lunar new year to pay you back. Time to collect back your bad debt.
9. Feng Shui Your House With Flying Star Enhancers and Cures
Some people like to apply the Feng Shui flying stars in their house every year. It is all about tapping into the energy of the favourable direction and minimize the negative. Every year, the 9 flying stars will fly to different sectors of your home on 4 February. You should learn how to enhance the good and cure the bad in annual Flying Star 2022.
10. Stay Positive and Happy
On the Chinese New Year’s Day , spend quality time with your family and loved ones. Stay happy and positive, avoid any negative words/scolding/quarrel.
Thinking about this, shouldn’t you stay positive every day to attract good things into your life? Do you follow all these Chinese New Year traditions to get lucky? No harm trying, and you might get some unexpected good fortune!
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