Chinese New Year Traditions

By Arlene Lum

While many Chinese, especially American-born, do not believe in these traditions, they are still practiced.  Learning about them provides continuity with the past and provide the family with an identity.  It also provides us with an understanding of why some still practice the traditions and allows us to act appropriately. 

 Taboos and Superstitions of Chinese New Year

 House Cleaning

 The entire house should be cleaned before New Year’s Day.  On New Year’s Even, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away.  Good fortune could be swept away during New Year’s Day.  Floors may be swept after New Year’s Day, but the sweeping begins at the door and swept to the middle of the room and placed in the corners until the fifth day when garbage is taken out the back door.  If you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep a member of the family away, and if swept out through the front entrance, the good fortune of the family is swept away. 

 Bringing In the New Year and Expelling the Old

 Shooting off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year.  At midnight of New Year’s Eve, every door in the house and even windows have to be opened to allow the old year to go out. 

 New Year Activities Set Precedent

 Appearance and attitude during New Year’s set the tone for the rest of the year.  All debts are paid before New Year’s Day.  Nothing should be lent on New Year’s Day; otherwise you would be lending money the entire year. 

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words.  Negative terms and the word “four” (which sounds like the word for death) are not uttered.  Stories about death, dying and ghosts are taboo.  References to the past year are also avoided as everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning. 

 Crying on New Year’s Day will denote crying throughout the year.  As a result, mischievous or misbehaving children are tolerated and not admonished.

Personal Appearance and Cleanliness

 Appearance and attitude washing our hair on New Year’s Day would mean washing away good luck for the year.  Red is considered a bright, happy color that would bring a sunny and bright future so red clothing is preferred over other colors during Chinese New Year. 

 Other Superstitions

 For some who are very superstitious, the first person one meets or the first words heard signify the outlook for the year.  As a result, it’s very common to wish everyone you run into during New Year’s Day with a well wish. 

 It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom; even when sick, get dress and greet guests outside of the bedroom.

 Do not use knives or scissors o New Year’s Day as this may cut off your fortune for the year.

 
Decorations

 
Prior to New Years Day, Chinese families decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines with leaves and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit.  On walls and doors are poetic couplets, happy wishes written on red paper.  Unlike the typical fortune cookie messages, these messages always portray positive messages, such as “May you enjoy continuous good health”, and “May the Star of Happiness, the Star of Wealth, and the Start of Longevity shine on you”.     

 
Plants & Flowers

 
Every traditional Chinese household should also have live blooming plants to symbolize rebirth and new growth.  Flowers are believed to be symbolic of wealth and high positions in one’s career.  A home with a plant that blooms on New Year’s Day foretells a year of prosperity.  In more elaborate settings, plum blossoms just starting to bloom are arranged with bamboo and pine sprigs to symbolize friends, reliability and perseverance (plum blossoms), compatibility (bamboo), longevity and steadiness (evergreen pine).  Other highly prized flowers include pussy willow, azalea, peony, water lily and narcissus. 

 
The Chinese firmly believe that without flowers, there would be no formation of any fruits.  They are the emblems of the reawakening of nature and intimately connect

with the wish for happiness during the year.


Oranges and Tangerines

Etiquette dictates that you must bring a bag of oranges and tangerines with a lei see (red envelope with money) when visiting family or friends anytime during the two-week long Chinese New Year celebration.  Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one’s relationship with the other remains secure.  For newlyweds, this represents the branching of the couple into a family with many children.  Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness.   

 
Candy Tray

 
The candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called “The Tray of Togetherness” and has a dazzling array of candy to start the New Year sweetly.  After taking several pieces of candy from the tray, adults place a red envelope on the center compartment of the tray.  Each item in the candy tray represents some kind of good fortune:

• Candied melon:  growth and good health
• Red melon seed:  joy, happiness, truth and sincerity
• Lychee nut:  strong family relationships
• Cumquat:  prosperity (gold)
• Coconut:  togetherness
• Peanuts:  long life
• Longnan:  many good sons
• Lotus Seed:  many children

 
Traditional New Year Foods

 
More food is consumed during the New Year celebration than any other time of the year.  The tremendous amount of food prepared at this time is meant to symbolize abundance and wealth for the household.  Food is prepared for family, friends, as well as for offerings to deceased ancestors. 

 
On New Year’s Day, traditional Chinese family will eat a vegetarian dish called Jai.  Ingredients of jai have superstitious aspects to them, such as:

-- Lotus seed:  many male offsprings

-- Ginkgo nut:  silver ingots

-- Black moss seaweed:  homonym for exceeding in wealth

-- Dried bean curd:  homonym for fulfillment of wealth and happiness (not fresh bean curd or tofu, which is white and signifies death & misfortune)

-- Bamboo shoots:  sounds like “wishing that everything would be well”

Other foods include:

-- Whole fish:  togetherness and abundance

-- Chicken (with head, tail & feet):  prosperity

-- Noodles (uncut):  long life

-- Nian gao:  sweet steamed glutinous rice pudding (Southern China)

-- Zong zi:  glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves (Southern China)

-- Man tou:  small mean dumplings (Northern China)