5. Wearing new clothes and wishing others good luck. On New Year’s Day, wearing new clothes symbolizes a fresh start. Wearing red is believed to attract luck and prosperity. Greeting others “gongxi” or best wishes is thought to usher in an auspicious year. Chinese New Year superstitions are traditional beliefs and practices observed during the Lunar New Year to bring good luck and ward off misfortune. These customs range from avoiding certain actions to performing specific rituals, all aimed at ensuring a prosperous year ahead. 20 Chinese New Year Superstitions 1. Avoid Cleaning on New Year’s Day Consider my daughter, Heidi, born in the Year of the Dog. She faced what is termed “offending the Grand Duke” or “Fan Tai Sui” (犯太岁) in Mandarin during the last Dog year. This belief holds that sharing your birth year with the current zodiac sign can invite bad luck. Wong adds that many Chinese traditions around the new year, like cleaning or eating sweets, are all about setting the mood for the year ahead. "A lot of it feels about intent. Today, we’ll discuss 14 Chinese New Year rituals and traditions that have been practiced for centuries and are believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead. 1. Cleaning the House. Before the new year begins, it’s time for a good, deep cleaning. This ritual is believed to sweep away bad luck and make room for good fortune. Each culture celebrating the Lunar New Year has traditions passed down from generation to generation that are thought to bring good luck. For the Lunar New Year 2025, I asked NPR readers and listeners to share the new and old traditions they practice to ensure a lucky year ahead. Here are some of their responses, edited for length and clarity. The seventh day of the Lunar New Year (February 4, 2025) is said to be when the Chinese mother goddess, Nuwa, created humanity. Thus, it’s called renri/jan jat (the people’s birthday). From one week preceding the festival to the 15th day after, many Chinese New Year customs are widely observed for thousands of years. The family reunion dinner, eating dumplings, and setting off firework are the must-dos that you might know. The third day of Chinese New Year – also known as ‘red mouth’ day, or cek hau (赤口) in Cantonese – is thought to be the most quarrelsome day between family and friends, so many people avoid social interactions and instead test their luck at casinos or visit temples. Learn the legends, superstitions and clever wordplay behind the most popular Lunar New Year traditions that will bring you luck. The best Chinese New Year traditions to celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Snake in 2025. Try these good luck traditions of foods, colors and open windows. Generations come together to celebrate Chinese New Year, honoring traditions and strengthening family bonds. Clean—but don’t sweep luck away. Houses are cleaned before Chinese New Year to discard bad vibes, but on the day itself, no brooms or mops are allowed. Sweeping during festivities risks brushing away newly arrived fortune. 5. 年花 (New Year Flowers) Symbolism: New Year flowers such as 桃花 (peach blossoms), 富贵竹 (lucky bamboo), and 桔子树 (tangerine trees) represent growth, prosperity, and good luck. Each flower carries its own specific auspicious meaning. Application: These flowers are used to decorate homes and offices during Chinese New Year. For Photo by Elvir K on Unsplash Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals in China and among Chinese communities worldwide. This vibrant and joyous occasion is steeped in rich traditions and customs that have been passed down through generations. Chinese people believe that, as the Spring Festival is the start of a new year, what you do then will affect your luck in the coming year. There are many Chinese New Year traditions about dos and don'ts. Find out the top 18 things you should not do. Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. Snake is the new year animal. Learn more about Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, taboos, food, zodiac signs, and greetings. Traditions . Aside from New Year’s Eve, there are other important days of the 15-day Chinese New Year Festival, including:. JIE CAI CENG: Welcoming the Gods of Wealth and Prosperity In Chinese, "fish" (鱼 Yú /yoo/) sounds like 'surplus'. Fish is a traditional Chinese New Year dish on the Chinese New Year dinner menu. Chinese people always like to have a surplus at the end of the year, because they think if they have managed to save something at the end of the year, then they can make more in the next year. New Year's; 10 Traditions That Invite Luck & Good Vibes for Lunar New Year. Say good bye old to negative vibes, and hello new lucky energy with 10 Lunar New Year customs that invite prosperity, peace, and wellbeing.
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