How to Prepare For The Chinese New Year

The Chinese New Year begins on January 26 this year. However, preparations for this 15-day celebration do not begin on the eve of the holiday. Several days before the new year, or more depending on what preparations you need to complete, may be necessary to help you jumpstart the new year off right.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Before the New Year begins, clean your home. You can think of this as “spring cleaning”! After all, the New Year marks the beginning of spring according to the Lunar calendar. Clear up the clutter and dispose of anything negative that may be associated with or has accumulated during the old year. Thoroughly cleaning readies your home for good luck to come in. Just remember not to clean the first days after the New Year. By putting the broom, vacuum, dustpan, or other cleaning items away, you are preventing yourself from possibly sweeping away the good luck that may have entered your home.

2. Make amends with the people in your life before the New Year. By building better relationships in your life, whether it is with relatives, neighbors, friends, or co-workers, you are removing the negative energies of the old year so that you can start fresh for the new.

3. Settle all your debts. Again, this promotes beginning the New Year on a positive note.

4. If they are available in your area, buy flower blooming plants or trees, such as the lucky bamboo, kumquat, narcissus, plum blossom and peach blossom plants. Use these plants to decorate your home indoors and out. It is a symbol of luck and prosperity when a plant blooms on New Year’s Day!

5. Have a New Year’s Eve family reunion dinner. Whether you hold it at the home of a family member or at a restaurant, family ties are essential during this festivity.

6. Get red lucky money envelopes. Make a trip to the bank and request new bills that you will use to fill the envelopes. When inserting money into the envelopes, make certain you enter an even amount. Even-numbered gifts are considered lucky. However, steer away from offering even-numbered money gifts ending in the number four as it symbolizes “death”. During the New Year’s Eve dinner and throughout the remainder of the New Year’s celebrations, hand out these red envelopes to children (there are other people who can receive red envelopes, but for the sake of remaining succinct I won’t get into it here).

7. Open every window and door at the stroke of midnight New Year’s Day to let the old year out. Make sure everyone in the family is together when you do this to promote a strong family bond into the New Year. Happy Chinese New Year!

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to find out more about how different Asian cultures celebrate the Chinese (Lunar) New Year, check out the resources below (Lunar New Year Across Asia).
• Remember to close your windows and doors after opening them to prevent an evening chill or unwanted intruders.
• Lunar New Year is a multicultural celebration. Some traditions included in this article may vary from culture to culture or household to household.

Resources

• How to Celebrate The Chinese New Year
• Lunar New Year Across Asia

[vikki9]

on 1/26/2009 Happy New Year!

[2besure]

on 1/21/2009 I find Chinese culture so interesting. Great article.

[alienangel555]

on 1/16/2009 what great info. 5

[sneedc]

on 1/16/2009 Wow this is a whole, new world you've introduced me to; it might take me a few years to get the debt thing under control, but the easier, more manageable tasks I am all over!!! Some of my OCD friends couldn't possibly put up their vacuums/brooms for several days!!! I love the symbolism and fun here! thanks 5*