Chinese New Year is set to bring celebrations across the world this week.
The festivities for the Lunar New Year will see homes festooned with red paper lanterns and families gather to share sumptuous feasts.
The celebrations officially kick off with a New Year’s Eve family dinner, with fish and dumplings being served to encourage prosperity.
Families then stay awake throughout the night and gather for fireworks at midnight to banish evil.
Adults typically give children red packets containing money at Chinese New Year, to help them avoid the evil and wish them good health.
There are many superstitions surrounding Chinese New Year, with certain actions to be avoided on the first day of the celebrations.
Here's everything you need to know about the traditions.
When is Chinese New Year 2022?
The date of Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, changes each year, but still always falls in January or February.
This year, Chinese New Year falls on February 1, although celebrations will typically last 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s Eve (January 31) until February 15.
The final day of the celebrations is marked by the Lantern Festival.
Many people celebrate this festival by letting paper lanterns off into the sky.
Which zodiac sign animal is it this year and how is it determined?
The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 blocks (or houses) just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month.
Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals that appear in the Chinese zodiac – last year was the Year of the Ox.
The twelve animals are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
This year is the Year of the Tiger.
People born in the Year of the Tiger are characterised as being brave, competitive and confident. But, on the other hand, they can sometimes be unpredictable, irritable and overindulgent.
A quick search on the internet can help you to determine which zodiac animal you are.
What actions should be avoided on the first day of celebrations?
There are many superstitions surrounding Chinese New Year. These are to be avoided on the first day of the festival:
- Medicine: Taking medicine on the first day of the lunar year means one will get ill for a whole year.
- Porridge: It is considered that only poor people have porridge for breakfast – and people don’t want to start the year “poor”.
- Laundry: People do not wash clothes on the first and second day because these two days are celebrated as the birthday of Shuishen (水神, the Water God).
- Washing hair: Hair must not be washed on the first day of the lunar year. In the Chinese language, hair (发) has the same pronunciation and character as ‘fa’ in facai (发财), which means ‘to become wealthy’. Therefore, it is seen as not a good thing to “wash one’s fortune away” at the beginning of the New Year.
- Sharp objects: The use of knives and scissors is to be avoided as any accident is thought to lead to inauspicious things and the depletion of wealth.
- Going out: A woman may not leave her house otherwise she will be plagued with bad luck for the entire coming year. A married daughter is not allowed to visit the house of her parents as this is believed to bring bad luck to the parents, causing economic hardship for the family.
- The broom: If you sweep on this day then your wealth will be swept away too.
- Crying children: The cry of a child is believed to bring bad luck to the family so parents do their best to keep children as happy as possible.
- Theft: Having your pocket picked is believed to portend your entire wealth in the coming year being stolen.
- Debt: Money should not be lent on New Year’s Day and all debts have to be paid by New Year’s Eve. If someone owes you money, do not go to their home to demand it. Anyone who does so will be unlucky all year.
- An empty rice jar : A depleted receptacle may cause grave anxiety as the cessation of cooking during the New Year period is considered to be an ill omen.
- Damaged clothes: Wearing threadbare garments can cause more bad luck for the year.
- Killing things: Blood is considered an ill omen, which will cause misfortunes such as a knife wound or a bloody disaster.
- Monochrome fashion: White or black clothes are barred as these two colours are traditionally associated with mourning.
- Giving of certain gifts: Clocks, scissors and pears all have a bad meaning in Chinese culture.
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