The Lunar New Year is almost here! Setting off firecrackers, worshipping, and visiting the Spring Festival are all long-standing traditions meant to usher in good fortune in the new year. However, there are also some things you absolutely shouldn't do, as doing so could lead to bad luck throughout the year!
There are many taboos and customs during the Lunar New Year, both large and small, that may be unfamiliar to us. Below is a list of the rituals and their origins from the first five days of the Lunar New Year for your reference!
🧨First day of the new year
Traveling on the first day of the Lunar New Year is called "Xingchun." "Chun" (Spring) is a homophone of the Taiwanese word for "leftover," symbolizing a surplus of wealth and food. Traveling also serves the purpose of socializing and blessing. Men, women, young and old, dressed in new clothes, "Xingchun" (Walking Spring) often involves visiting temples or relatives and friends to pay New Year's greetings. This is also known as "He Sui" (Hesui) or "He Zheng" (He Zheng). On the first day of the Lunar New Year, it's essential to exchange happy New Year greetings, hoping to bring prosperity to oneself and one's loved ones.
The first day of the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the new year. Besides good fortune-enhancing activities, there are also many taboos to avoid. For example, avoid breaking bowls or glass, as this can damage your financial luck; avoid calling someone out of bed, as this will cause them to be rushed throughout the year; and avoid taking a nap, as it can lead to laziness and affect your career luck.
👫Second year of junior high school
The second day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally the day when a married daughter returns to her parents' home with her son-in-law, also known as the "Wedding Son-in-law Day." Traditional thinking suggests that a married daughter should return to her parents' home before noon, eat lunch with her son-in-law as much as possible, and avoid staying too late at her parents' home.
The traditional gift given to a woman's parents when she returns home is called a "return door gift." Besides being a courtesy, it also serves to let her family know that she is doing well after her marriage. Remember to always give even numbers for return door gifts; odd numbers are considered unlucky.
The second day of the Lunar New Year is also known as the "tooth-making" day in folk customs. It is imperative to prepare offerings to the local God of Wealth, the Earth God, in order to pray for a prosperous business and a steady flow of customers in the new year!
🛏️Third day of junior high school
The third day of the Lunar New Year is commonly known as "Red Dog Day." Legend has it that the angry god "Red Dog" will descend upon the mortal world on this day. People who encounter him will be in danger and prone to quarrels and disputes. Therefore, it is not suitable to go out to pay New Year's greetings on this day. It is best to stay home and recuperate.
The third night of the Lunar New Year is also the "Rat Wedding Day," so most people go to bed early and avoid leaving lights on late at night to avoid disturbing the rats' weddings. That night, there's also the custom of "rat money sharing," where salt, rice, and cakes are scattered in a corner of the home for the rats to enjoy, symbolizing a bountiful harvest in the new year.
🏮The fourth day of the Lunar New Year
The fourth day of the Lunar New Year is the "God Reception Day." The gods, who ascended to heaven on the 24th day of the 12th lunar month of the previous year to report to the Jade Emperor and report on the good and evil deeds of the human world, return to the human world on this fourth day. This reception typically takes place around noon. To show gratitude for the many deities' contributions to the human world, various offerings are offered in return.
Because the gods are welcomed on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, traveling is prohibited. Instead, one must stay home to respectfully welcome the gods, the Kitchen God, and the household gods. Legend has it that the Kitchen God will call out each person's name, so family members should stay indoors. Those who are in conflict with the Tai Sui year must perform the rituals of appeasing the Tai Sui and lighting bright lanterns on the fourth day.
🧮The fifth day of the Lunar New Year
The fifth day of the Lunar New Year is also known as "Po Wu" or "Separation", which means that the New Year's programs come to an end on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, daily routines should return to normal, many taboos during the New Year period are no longer valid, and businesses are open for business with good luck.
This day is also the birthday of the Five Gods of Wealth. One should choose the earliest auspicious time, open the doors and windows of the house, and burn incense to welcome the God of Wealth. In addition, one should offer sacrificial offerings, light candles, burn gold paper, and set off firecrackers to "welcome the God of Wealth." This is usually called "offering sacrifices to the God of Wealth" or "welcoming the God of Wealth."
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, all garbage generated during the New Year period must be cleaned up, which has the meaning of "sending away poverty", symbolizing sending poverty out of the house. When sweeping the floor, one must sweep from the outside to the inside, so as to sweep in all the gold, silver and treasures.