The Lunar New Year, or more commonly called Chinese New Year is celebrated throughout many different countries and regions across the world. It is based on the Lunar Calendar, which is based on the cycle of the moon. The festival is held for 15 days, and it stars a different animal of the zodiac every year. There are many different superstitions and taboos that are believed to cause bad luck or misfortune for the coming year. Here are 10.
Avoid eating medicine: it is believed that eating medicine will cause you to fall sick for the rest of the coming year, as eating medicine means that you have an illness.
Avoid wearing white or black clothing on the first 3-5 days as black and white clothes are associated with funerals and mourning.
Avoid giving certain gifts/presents such as shoes, because the Chinese word for shoe sounds very similar to the Chinese word for evil/bad luck. Read more at: Things not to give during Chinese New Year
On the first day of the new year, most people don’t wash their hair because the word for hair, “fa” (发), corresponds to the “fa” in “gong xi fa cai” (恭喜发财). So, washing your hair is seen as equivalent to washing your luck away.
Sweeping the floors on the first 3 days also represents sweeping your luck away, as you should instead open your doors to welcome the good luck in.
Don’t use sharp objects for the first 5 days (my mom always reprimanded me for using my scissors to cut paper during this period), as sharp objects are seen as cutting ties with a person, and this is seen as negative.
Always greet your family and friends; give them blessings also known as “bai nian” 拜年 to exchange for ang paos. If you’re the youngest, you should greet your elders first.
Clean your house before the new year: the god of wealth, “cai shen” (财神) will be more likely to enter your house if it is clean.
Don’t break stuff: it’s an omen that bad things will happen.
Swearing, saying bad stuff, bad-mouthing and gossiping will bring you bad luck all year long. Saying nice things and being kind will bring joy and luck to you.
Wear new clothes: Ancient Chinese believed that starting a new year with all things new is a good omen as it symbolises new beginnings
These practices are still carried on today as Chinese New Year is an important festival to young and old alike. In ancient folklore, people were once terrorised by a mythical beast named Nian. A wise, old man visited the village, and using loud noises, firecrackers, and red items, he managed to scare the monster away. The village rejoiced, and from that day on, wearing red, setting off fireworks and lighting candles became a tradition.
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