Chinese New Year Traditions

Hi Friends! It's Jo again from White Roses and Coffee. Thanks to Kim who invited me to talk more about Chinese traditions. In the last post, I shared some Chinese pregnancy superstitions. Chinese New Year is just around the corner (Jan 31) so I will be talking about customs and taboos revolving around Chinese New Year. This time of year is not only about delectable food but there is also a hefty list of taboos which affect the Chinese all around the world. I've already written a post on some of the CNY traditions on my blog last year but I'd like to add in more which have been passed on to me from the matriarchs of my family. There are tons of them -so please brace yourself! LOL!

Clean The House 

Having a clean home is crucial if you want good energy and prosperity in the New Year. 

Forbidden Words

On the first day of Chinese New Year, you are not allowed to say "die", "break", "gone", and "poor". 
These are considered unlucky words. Keep positive at all times. 
Refrain from using the word "four" because in Chinese, it means "to die". 

 Don't Cry

Never cry on the first day. This applies to everyone. If you cry on New Year's Day, you'll be crying all year long. 

Don't Buy Any Reading Material

Do not buy any reading material, especially books, because "book" is a homonym for 'lose'.  

Bookstores are not opened during the first few days of CNY. 

Trash = Treasure

Trash is treated like treasure. You may only throw away the trash on the fifth day of CNY. 

Firecrackers

According to Chinese mythology, there is a monster named "Nian". He's half-lion and half dragon and would eat humans. In order to scare him away, the people would use firecrackers. This has become a prominent CNY tradition. 

 Stay Up Late

Children are encouraged to stay up late on the eve of the New Year. 
This is to "guard the years" for their parents so that the parents can live longer. 

 Release Animals

It is also recommended to release bird, fish, or any animal in captivity. This is believed to bring good luck throughout the year.  One should also refrain from slaughtering animals on the first day of CNY. 

 Don't Nap

To prevent laziness, one should not take a nap on New Year's Day. 

Pay Off All Your Debt 

Old debt is like a bad omen for New Year. Do not lend or borrow any money. 

No Knives. No Scissors.

Refrain from using knifes and scissors as it is believed that it may cut off fortune! 

Red Envelope Rule

Do give red envelopes (stuffed with money) to children and unmarried adults. 

You only do this if you are married. This is to "spread the luck" to whomever receives it. 

Do Not Give Any Taboo Gifts 

This includes clocks (escorting someone to the grave), green hats especially to men (means infidelity), pears (sounds like separation), shoes (sounds like a sigh) and handkerchiefs (used in funerals). 

 Do Not Cut Your Hair

Nothing should be cut during Chinese New Year. Whatever you do - wait til after the new year for that trim! 

Do Not Wash Your Hair

Don't wash your hair as the Chinese word for hair is a homophone for "wealth". 

Therefore, the Chinese believe that it will wash away the good luck for the upcoming year. 

Do Not Wear Black Or White 

It's reserved for funerals. Red is the lucky color. New clothes signify a new start; new change...whip out that new blazer! 

Buy A New Pair Of Pants

The word "trousers" is a homonym for wealth. 

Eat Your Sweets! 

Stock up on candies so you can have a SWEET year. 

Oranges and Tangerines

Oranges and tangerines are popular during CNY. They symbolize good luck and prosperity. 

Eat "Nian Gao" (Year Cake) 

It symbolizes that one should "grow higher in each coming year". 

Eat Noodles

Eat LOTS of noodles and make sure they are not cut. Slurp up all the stringy goodness! 

 Do Not Eat Congee

One should not eat congee as the first meal. 
It's considered that only poor people have it for breakfast which means you will be poor throughout the year.

 Vegetarian Food

The first meal on CNY is vegetarian food. Consuming meat is considered bad luck. 

 Don't Argue. Don't Shout.

Like Thanksgiving dinner, everyone sits together for dinner on New Year's Eve.  

During this time, it's imperative that everyone should not argue or shout at each other. 

 Eat Fish

Eat plenty of fish and abalone because they contain the words "yu" which means abundance. 

 Don't Break Glassware

One should not break any glassware during CNY as it signifies potential arguments within the home. 

Don't Break Chopsticks

Breaking chopsticks is considered bad luck because it signifies the breaking of relationships. 

Full Rice Container

...and last but not least, it is bad luck to have a empty rice container.  

Make sure you fill it up before the celebration.

Of all these superstitions, there is one that bugs me up to today. It is that a married daughter is forbidden to visit the house of her parents. This is believed that it will cause economic hardship for the family. I think this is ridiculous but I still obey it. Gosh, if only my mom wasn't so superstitious - life would be so much easier! Anyway, hope you guys enjoy reading this! If you see Chinese people during this joyous holiday, make sure you wish them "Gung Hay Fat Choy" which translates to "Have a Prosperous New Year". Thanks for reading!

 Gung Hay Fat Choy = Have A Prosperous New Year
Year Of The Horse 2014

written by: Jo of White Roses and Coffee // pictures added by: Kim of A Very Sweet Blog

picture credit: instagram (names on picture)

Thank You Jo for writing such an informative post! You did an awesome job and I thank you! 

Several years ago, I incorporated Chinese New Year traditions into my life. They really helped me. 

They're excellent practices, that can benefit anyone. 

It's CNY Week on A Very Sweet Blog! 

Stay tuned to LEARN more...