Because the Spring Festival marks the start of a new year, Chinese people think that what you do at the festival will influence your fortune in the future year. There are a slew of things you should avoid.
Discover the top 10 things you should avoid. Some are taboos on the first day of the Chinese New Year, while others are superstitions that last throughout the New Year Festival (from the 1st to 15th of the Lunar New Year).
1. Do not take any medications.
It is thought that if a person brews herbal medication or takes medicine on the first day of the lunar year, he or she will become unwell for the entire year.
Sick people in some localities smash their gallipots (medicine pots) after the bell ringing in the New Year at midnight on New Year’s Day, believing that this habit will drive the illness away in the next year.
2. Do not sweep or dispose of trash.
On this day, sweeping is associated with sweeping prosperity away. Taking away the garbage represents removing the good luck or fortune from the home.
3. Avoid saying anything unlucky.
During the Lunar New Year, no one wants to hear words having bad connotations. Avoid using words like “death,” “illness,” “poor,” “ghosts,” and so on. If they need to discuss about such things, people use euphemisms instead, such as “someone is gone” instead of “someone died.”
4. Breakfast should not consist of oatmeal and meat.
Porridge should not be consumed since it is thought that only the impoverished eat porridge for breakfast, and no one wants to start the year “poor,” as this is considered a negative omen.
Furthermore, meat should not be consumed during this breakfast in honour of the (Buddhist) gods (who are thought to be opposed to animal slaughter), as all gods are expected to be out meeting and wishing each other a happy New Year.
5. Don’t wash your hair or get a haircut.
On Chinese New Year’s Day, hair should not be washed. Hair (, fa) has the same pronunciation (and is the same character) in Mandarin as fa in facai (), which signifies ‘to get wealthy.’ As a result, it is considered bad luck to “wipe one’s fortune away” at the start of the New Year.
On this day, avoid cutting your hair because it is thought to bring bad luck to uncles.
However, getting a haircut or a new hairdo before Chinese Fresh Year is becoming increasingly popular in order to have a new look (new ‘wealth’) in the coming year.
6. Do not put your garments in the washing machine.
On the first and second days of the new year, no one washes their clothes since the water god’s birthday is celebrated on these two days. Washing garments is considered a form of desecration to the god of water.
Water was thought to be a symbol of riches by the ancients. The act of throwing out water after washing clothes is thought to represent the pouring away of money.
7. Do not smash a bowl, plate, or glass.
Breaking is a symbol of inadequacy and bad luck. During the Spring Festival, breaking a bowl, plate, glass, vase, or mirror is thought to bring bad luck, financial loss, or family split.
When anything is inadvertently shattered, people customarily wrap the shards in red paper and exclaim “Sui sui ping’an,” which means “all year safe and sound.” (sui, meaning ‘broken’) and (sui, meaning ‘year’) sound the same in Mandarin.
8. No going to the hospital.
A trip to the hospital around this time is thought to bring illness to the individual in question for the rest of the year; hence, hospital visits are avoided unless absolutely necessary.
9. Avoid wearing clothes that have been damaged.
Wearing soiled clothing is a no-no. It is supposed to bring bad luck to children who wear such clothing during the first lunar month.
10. Wearing white or black is not a good option.
During Chinese New Year, red is a lucky colour.
During Chinese New Year, red is a lucky colour.
Wearing white or black clothing is frowned upon since these colours are usually connected with grief.
