Chinese New Year Superstitions

I am not a Chinese, nor any of my family members are .My late father in law though I think believed in their superstitions since there are some Chinese items in the ancestors house before. I think there is no harm in following these beliefs if you think it may bring you good health and good fortune.

Here are some Chinese Superstitions that I found that you can do this midnight (February 9, 2013).

BEFORE NEW YEARS EVE:

1. Clean the entire house to get rid of any ill-fortune associated with the past year and make room for incoming good luck.
2. Decorate your house with plastic firecrackers to frighten away evil spirits and the bad luck they might bring.
3. Decorate your home with live blooming plants to symbolize rebirth and new growth.
4. Display oranges and tangerines to symbolize abundant happiness and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit to start the new year sweetly.
5. Put away all brooms and brushes.
6. Pay all your debts (I wish I can do this today! hahaha)
7. Resolve differences with relatives, family members, friends, business associates
8. Prepare meals for New Years Eve and New Years Day

• meat dumplings for good luck
• tangerines for good fortune
• apples for peace
• sweet rice cakes for more wealth every year
• fish for plenty
• veggies with long noodles for long life
• chicken for wealth
• mustard greens for a green year for farmers
• soup means everything better than last year
• oranges for money and wealth
• shrimp for abundance

via: http://www.china-family-adventure.com/chinese-new-year-traditions.html

NEW YEARS EVE:

1. Get together with family for a meal and family activities.
2. Pay respects to your ancestors.
3. Set off firecrackers at midnight to send out the old year and welcome the new year.
4. Open every door & window at midnight to let go of the old year

NEW YEARS DAY: ( February 10, 2013 —– January 31, 2014)

1. The events that occur on New Years Day may have an impact on the rest of the year so be careful with your words, your deeds, what you eat and whom you greet.
2. Don’t wash your hair or you will wash away any good luck for the new year
3. Wear brand new clothes
4. Wear the color red for joy and happiness.
5. Don’t wear white or black as they are colors of mourning.
6. Greet your relatives, neighbors, and friends and wish them well.
7. Don’t greet people in mourning.
8. Give red envelopes with lucky money to children and unmarried people.
9. Don’t sweep the floor or clean or you may sweep away your luck.
10. Don’t say the number “four” (which sounds like the Chinese word for death)
11. Don’t mention death or tell ghost stories.
12. Don’t cook.
13. Don’t use knives or scissors or you may cut off fortune.
14. Don’t lend money or you will be lending all year.
15. Don’t borrow money.

via: http://www.fengshuidiva.com/chinesenewyear.htm

To all my Chinese friends Happy New Year! Gung Hey Fatt Choy in Cantonese or Gong Xi Fa Cai in Mandarin or Chuc Mung Nam Mui in Vietnamese!!!!

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