Lunar New Year in 2020 will be marked on January 25, with celebrations taking place in homes across Asia and Australia.
According to China’s agrarian traditions which have been observed for centuries, during this period, farmers usually take a break from their work in the fields to gather with their families.
It is also a time to pray to the gods and ancestors in order to usher in a successful harvest season.
While it’s traditionally a time to gather with family and friends to observe the start of a new year, the period is also rife with taboos and superstitions that families try their best to uphold or avoid.
It's important to note that taboos may be different between families, depending on how superstitious they are.
The list is long, but here are some of the main taboos:
1. Don’t sweep up or take out the garbage
Families usually clean their households thoroughly before New Year’s Eve. In Chinese culture, sweeping is associated with clearing redundancies and exorcising bad luck.
Traditionally, the house owner would start sweeping from the outside, before moving inside. This act is said to bring wealth to the family.
However, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, sweeping and throwing out the garbage is a taboo because it symbolises sweeping away money and dumping good fortune. Following New Year's Day, cleaning and washing can resume as normal.
2. Don’t wash your hair or clothes
In the Chinese language, the word for ‘hair’ (髮) is pronounced the same as ‘making money’ (發財).
Some Chinese people believe that the first two days of the Lunar New Year are the birthday of the Water God, or Shuishen.
Therefore, it’s believed that the god would be offended if people wash clothes or their hair, and would thus bring bad luck during the year ahead.
3. Don’t break tools or equipment
It’s taboo to break tools or equipment like glass, vases, mirrors or bowls during Lunar New Year. The words ‘breaking’ (破) and ‘shattered’ (碎) are associated with breaking the connection to prosperity (破財) and separating apart (破碎).
If a breakage does occur, elderly family members may speak auspicious words to make up for the misfortune and loss caused by the breakage.
Chinese people believe the more positive words that are spoken, the higher the probability that a positive outcome will occur. Therefore, if someone accidentally breaks something, those around the person will say positive words.
On the other side of the coin, some believe that broken glass helps to ward off danger (破財擋災).
The broken pieces can be wrapped up and then thrown away after the New Year.
4. Don’t say “bad” words
Chinese people believe the gods are sensitive to what people say and careless talk can lead to trouble.
Words with negative meanings are banned in daily conversations, especially during the Lunar New Year.
Some common examples are the words death, ghost, poor, tragic, pain, shoes and the number four.
All of these “bad” words must instead be expressed using euphemisms.
Other words that should be avoided are “cutting pears” as it is pronounced as “fun lei” (梨) which is associated with separation; and “giving you a watch as a gift” (送鐘) as it sounds like “attending a funeral ritual” (送終).
5. Don’t wear black and white clothes
In Chinese culture, wearing black and white is the biggest no-no.
Chinese people traditionally dress in black and white on occasions such as funerals and mourning ceremonies, so wearing these colours can be seen to symbolise death and misfortune.
Instead, it is recommended to wear brightly-coloured clothes, such as red, yellow and green.
Red is widely worn during festivals and weddings, as it symbolises good health, success and popularity.
The colour yellow is the most important from an ancient perspective as it represents the emperor, power and royalty.
Green is the colour of wealth, fertility and harmony. It looks similar to the Chinese jade stone which was affordable by the rich people and officials in the past.
6. Don’t cry
Keeping the peace is important to ensure a smooth path during the year ahead. A crying child is believed to bring illness and bad luck to the family.
Even though children are naughty and make mistakes, parents are required to remain calm, lenient and avoid punishing their children.
Maintaining harmony and peace is very important during the Lunar New Year.
