6 Things To Do For a Lucky Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is all about luck. It is believed to be a time to get rid of all the bad luck accumulated throughout the yet and replace it with good luck!

So the main goal is to pick up as much good luck as possible during this auspicious time and hope that the luck remains with you throughout the New Year! Here are some things you can do to hopefully improve your luck this Chinese New Year!

1. Clean your house on the day before Chinese New Year & NEVER during

Chinese people believe that when you clean your house before the start of the New Year, you're ridding yourself of all the bad luck accumulated throughout the year to make space for the good luck to enter your home.

But the opposite is true when you clean your house during Chinese New Year. This is a taboo because you're sweeping away all the good luck that you've just welcomed! 

2. Never give out anything in fours

Four is considered as an inauspicious number because it is pronounced as "si" in Chinese which is pronounced similarly to the word "Die".

As a rule of thumb, do not give out or place anything in fours during Chinese New Year!

3. Eat Your Luck

What better way to get your lucky than to eat it. There are tons of New Year Goodies that are believed to bring luck when eaten. One example are dumplings, they are considered good fortune because they look like ingots (currency used in Chinese history)

Sweets, Oranges, Long noodles & fish are also considered lucky foods, so be sure to eat plenty of Chinese New Year goodies.

But be sure to burn off the calories when the festivities are over!

4. Things You Shouldn't Do During Chinese New Year

If you want to keep your luck throughout the year, you probably don't want to do these things:

• Cursing - Although you should generally not be cursing, it's even more frowned upon during Chinese New Year. Curse words are considered "dirty" and are believed to scared away the good luck while at the same time inviting bad luck. So it's best to refrain from using bad words during the New Year.

• Crying - You might want to stay away from the sad K-Dramas because the Chinese believe that "tears on the first day of the spring festival means tears for the whole year". So unless you want to be crying throughout the year, you might want to keep those tears in!

• Eating Porridge - For porridge lovers, this might be a bummer. Porridge is seen as a sign of poverty in Chinese Culture, so eating porridge during Chinese New Year will mean that you will be poor throughout the year. So with that said, we're probably okay to go a few days without it.

• Giving "Unlucky" Gifts - Clocks/Watches, Sharp Objects, Wallets, Hankerchiefs, Hats, Shoes. All these are considered "unlucky" gifts during Chinese New Year because the way they are pronounced in mandarin bear similarities to other unlucky mandarin words.

• Washing Your Hair - Washing your hair on the first day is frowned upon because it is believed that your are washing away all the good luck! But please wash your hair on the second day to maintain personal hygiene!

5. Pay Off Any Debts/bills You Owe

It is considered an auspicious sign to pay off everything you owe before ushering in the New Year because it symbolizes a fresh & fruitful start. So pay your bills, return any money you owe & finish up those last few reps you owe your trainer at the gym!

6. Red Not Black

You probably know this even if you don't celebrate Chinese New Year. Red is considered an auspicious colour in the Chinese Culture, so be prepared to see alot of it during Chinese New Year. 

It is encouraged to wear red clothes & give or receive red packets. Black however is the opposite, it is considered bad luck to wear black during Chinese New Year and you might even get a scolding from the elderly for wearing black.

We love the color black as much as you, but maybe try to stay away from it during Chinese New Year just to be safe!