It is upon us, February 5th marks the beginning of the Year of the Pig! Get ready ladies and gents!
This seems to be the most talked about post we do all year, because who couldn’t use some luck! This is my personal New Year and I take almost all this to heart, especially whatever you do on New Year’s Day is what you’ll be doing all year, so choose wisely, do something unique or different!
A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year’s day. The Chinese New Year is a celebration of change … out with the old and in with the new!
By Chinese New Year’s Eve, you should have done the following:
- Clean the entire home to get rid of all the things that are associated with the old year.
- Put away all brooms and brushes.
- Pay debts.
- Resolve differences with family members, friends, neighbors and business associates.
- Buy oranges (good health and long life), tangerines (long relationships, fruitful and multiply for having children or persimmons (happiness and wealth).
- Fresh flowers, if a flower blooms on New Year’s Day this is a sign of prosperity all year.
- Get together with close family members for the “reunion” dinner.
- Open every door and window in your home at midnight of New Year’s Eve to let go of the old year.
On Chinese New Year’s Day…
- What you do today is what you’ll be doing ALL year long, choose wisely!
- Do not lend any money, otherwise you’ll be lending all year.
- Do not use foul language or unlucky words, like the word ‘four” which is the word for death, do not talk about death or ghosts on this day.
- Do not reference the past year or things in the past, only speak of the coming year.
- Wear new clothes or shoes, especially bright red.
- Eat candy in the morning for luck and also fish and chicken during the day.
- Do not wash your hair.
- Do not cry on New Year’s Day or you will cry throughout the whole year.
- Do not sweep the floor. Bad luck!
- Do not greet people who are in mourning.
- Do not drop your chopsticks.
- Do not use knives or scissors.
- The first person you meet or first words heard are indicative of the setting of the whole year.
And for those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to leave the home and the direction, which is most auspicious to head out. (Maybe a little overboard!)
Happy Chinese New Year!
