It’s that time of year again, Chinese New Year, when those in the know believe, how you prepare for the Spring Festival determines your future for the rest of the year. Personally in the Year of the Monkey I think why take a chance. Here are five customs you might want to consider.
thanks to Getty Images
Walk around a Peach Blossom Tree
Peach blossoms symbolise luck in love. To attract this luck find the best Peach Blossom tree you can and walk around it three times in a clockwise direction. Evidently this will bring your Mr or Ms Right to your door. Even better plant a Peach Blossom tree so the luck stays in your house all year and you can avoid making a date with Dr Phil.
Get a Tangerine Tree
In Chinese the character and pronunciation of ‘Tangerine’ and ‘Luck’ are the same and the colour of tangerines is a bit like gold. So the theory is that tangerine trees help bring good luck and fortune in the New Year. In Hong Kong business people will have a tangerine tree at home, or at the shop front to wish for ‘great luck and great profit’ in the coming year.
HONG KONG – FEBRUARY 04: People visit Chinese New Year Fair and get tangerine for better luck in the upcoming year on February 4, 2016 in Hong Kong. The Chinese Lunar New Year also known as the Spring Festival (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
Spin away the bad luck and attract the good
Maybe your thrilled to see the end of 2015 and definitely don’t want a repeat performance this year. Chinese customs say that spinning a pinwheel wards off back luck, and brings good fortune. ‘Spinning’ in Chinese has the same meaning as ‘change’. So by spinning the wheel you can change your luck. I don’t think a roulette wheel counts though.
Bring warm blessings to your house
Fai Chun is red paper with phrases wishing good luck, prosperity and other blessings. People stick Fai Chun on the door to make the coming year a lucky one. The gold writing against the red also turns it into an art piece and will give your home a Hong Kong touch.
HONG KONG – FEBRUARY 04: People get a hand written Fai Chun for getting a authentic touch of Chinese New Year on February 4, 2016 in Hong Kong. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
Decorate your home with plenty of red.
Red is associated with ‘happiness and good fortune’. Decorating your house in red means good fortune and happiness will stay in your home. During Chinese New Year people visit family and friends and it’s said that the red will give your guests a warm blessing for the year. So spread the love.
HONG KONG – FEBRUARY 04: Vendors sell stuffed monkey dolls at the Chinese New Year fair on February 4, 2016 in Hong Kong. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
Happy New Year everyone. Chinese New Year starts on February 8th. Thanks to Hong Kong Tourism Board. For more information about Chinese New Year in Hong Kong go to this link.
HONG KONG – FEBRUARY 04: People make incense offering at Man Mo Temple on February 4, 2016 in Hong Kong. (Photo by Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images)
