Chinese New Year’s Traditions

This upcoming Chinese New Year will celebrate the Earth Dog and will be held on Friday 16 February 2018. This date, which changes every year, is chosen accordingly with the Chinese lunar calendar and is also called The Spring Festival.

Here are some interesting facts about Chinese New Year’s traditions:
– To welcome the new year, people will clean and tidy their houses a week before the festivities start (also called Chinese Spring Cleaning).
– Traditional decorations such as couplets are hung outside doorways bestowing good luck on the occupants of the house. Children look forward to receiving the famous red envelopes known as “lai xi” which contain “lucky money”.
– On Chinese New Year’s day, it is taboo to:
o Eat porridge as it brings poverty,
o Wash your hair and clothes as washing takes away good luck,
o Talk about death as it might bring death,
– But allowed to light firecrackers in order to “sound out” the old year and “sound in” the new one.
– On this day, families will also visit a temple to pay respects and make offerings to their ancestors.
– If you have the opportunity, do not miss the Dragon dance as in Chinese astrology, Dragons are meant to bring good luck and represent wisdom, wealth and power.