8 Taboos To Avoid On Chinese New Year’s Day
Chinese New Year is just around the corner and here is a reminder of some of the taboos that should not be committed or it may bring you bad luck.
- Cutting Hair
www.illustrationsource.com
Do not cut your hair during the Chinese New Year as it is seen as cutting off all your good fortune for the coming year. Sharp objects such as scissors and knife should also not be handled.
2. Giving unlucky gifts
If you are planning on giving gifts on Chinese New Year make sure to double check that none of them contain any of these items as they all have a negative connotation to them: Shoes, mirrors, handkerchiefs, clocks, pears, cut flowers (especially white flowers or yellow chrysanthemum), umbrellas or black and white objects. Instead TiPs may make an ideal gift as children and the whole family can celebrate the New Year by making Chinese New Year themed decorations.
Check out this site for more details on why these gifts are taboo.
3. Sweeping
image from: qflf.wordpress
Sweeping on Chinese New Year is seen as a taboo as you may accidentally sweep out your good luck as well. So instead, a majority of people try to get their spring cleaning done before New Year’s Eve so cleaning will be unnecessary during Chinese New Year.
4. Avoid borrowing money
It is believed that borrowing money during New Year’s will result in you going in debt as a saying goes “If you start the year with someone else’s money, all year you’ll need loans; if you start the year lending money, all year you will suffer (household) losses.”
5. Do not wear black
Black is seen as a colour to be worn by people in mourning so make sure that clothes that are being worn during Chinese New Year are are bright in colour instead of dark.
6. No breaking of items
image from: homeshanthihome.blogspot.com
Be careful not to break any items such as mirrors, plates, glass or vases during Chinese New Year as it could signify a broken family or a death in the family.
7. Washing of clothes or hair
The first two days of Chinese New Year are considered to be the birthday of the Water God so washing will be refrained from during this period to not offend the Water God. It is also believed that washing clothes and hair during this time may result in you washing away all your good luck.
8. Do not say bad or unlucky words
image from: traditions.cultural-china.com
During Chinese New Year words like the number ‘Four’ should be refrained from saying as it sounds similar to the word ‘death’ (Si). Due to this reason the number four is seen as an unlucky number so make sure not to involve ‘four’ during Chinese New Year. Instead end on a positive note by trying to use more even numbers or numbers that are believed to have auspicious meanings. The number ‘8’ is seen as the most lucky number as the pronunciation of it sounds similar to ‘prosper’ or ‘wealth’ hence, this list of Chinese New Year taboos also ends with the number 8 to wish you a Gong Xi Fai Cai!!
Don’t forget that for this Chinese New Year why not give TiPs? 10 free Chinese New Year Templates are available for download so that the whole family can enjoy the New Years by making Chinese New Year themed decorations together! (Link to templates is below)
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ndyo3v4o6ejm3rj/AACpiZJh_jJWssgm6kfuq6mqa?dl=0
featured image from: fengshuibeginner.com
