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By now if you still don’t know that CNY is happening soon, then you’ve probably been living under a rock.
If not, here are ten things that you should really do right now in order for your year to huat!
Don’t Buy New Shoes Before CNY
Many people like to buy new clothes before CNY, just take care not to buy new shoes. You see, shoes in Mandarin is pronounced as xie, which sounds like the Mandarin word for ‘evil’.
So, when you buy new shoes during CNY, you’re basically buying new evil! This might lead to misfortune for the rest of the year. Those who know about this tend to avoid buying new shoes and throw away old ones instead to get rid of ‘evils’ in one’s life.
Watch a Lion Dance
Everyone and their mother has definitely witnessed or at least caught a glimpse of a lion dance during CNY. More often than not, the troop is hired by a company. Lions and dragons are considered auspicious creatures, so having them grace your business will bring you good luck.
But of course, this kind of good thing is definitely not cheap. It’s okay if you can’t afford one, because normal people can’t too (unless you’re some conglomerate’s son). As long as you watch one and experience the atmosphere, you are guaranteed to huat that year!
Eat “Huat Ah!” Foods
The ultimate thing that everybody looks forward to, other than the red packets, is the food. But anyway, if you’ve been focusing on eating only, I think it’s time for you to find out why these food are being eaten during Chinese New Year!
Firstly, we have the Chinese dumpling, which supposedly looks like an ingot, which are usually made of gold, symbolising fortune. When making the dumplings, it is best to fold as many pleats as possible. Those who are more superstitious will also put a coin inside, to signify great wealth for the year!
Secondly, we have spring rolls. Thirdly, we have the New Year cake, or what the Chinese call the nian gao (年糕). The pun on the name suggests that every year you will go gao (high) and gao-er (higher). This is applicable to your studies, work as well as business!
Decorate your house with good colours
CNY decorations are the hallmark of CNY (and they are usually bright red!). But, these decorations are not put up plainly for display purposes. They also bring the family good luck! The most common item would be couplets. They are put up to bless the new year and make it even better.
However, there are also some rules that you should abide by when putting them up. Like, for example, there’s a specific order in the pasting of couplets. Then and again, things are changing every day. In this day and age, it’s the sincerity that matters the most. As long as you put in the effort to put these up, anything goes!
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Firecrackers
Even though firecrackers are illegal in Singapore (unfortunately), playing the audio recording of firecrackers popping off also serves the purpose.
Okay, for all of our non-Chinese friends out there, here’s a quick summary of the need for firecrackers. There’s a monster called Nian, who will come out during CNY to eat people and destroy villages. Nian is scared of nothing but the sound of firecrackers, so people usually lit up firecrackers to chase it away. This ensures a good, monster-free year ahead!
Clean Your Car
Just like Spring Cleaning at home, cleaning your car also signifies a brand new start.
New year, new beginnings.
Pay off All Your Debts
If you ever start receiving money before the start CNY , that’s probably the money you’ve lent to others and they’re returning it to you.
By owing money (or in this case, any other thing) over the New Year, you’ll be indebted to the person for the whole year! So, you better start thinking if you still owe anyone anything lest you get “trapped” by another person!
Hurry, the countdown already started…
Stock up your Fridge
Basically, how stocked your fridge is, signifies how much resources you’ll have for the year. If your fridge is empty, you will live in poverty for the rest of the year and vice versa. So, if it’s full, you will be blessed with lots of resources next year!
Ensure that your fridge is packed to the brim while the supermarkets are still open. If you’re interested in the opening hours of supermarkets during CNY, take a look at this article.
Clean the house
Spring Cleaning is not just about making your house look more presentable when your relatives visit. It’s also about getting rid of the unlucky things and getting new ones.
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There’s a Chinese saying that goes “旧的不去，新的不来”. It basically means that if the old things don’t go, then new things won’t come in either. So, maybe listen to your parents (and wife) and clean the house properly!
Hang “福” upside down
During CNY, people like to hang the “福” (fu; blessings) word upside down. This is because the action of turning something upside down is called “倒” (dao).
It sounds the same as the Chinese word for ‘arrive’, which is “到” (dao). When combined, they form the phrase “福到” (fu dao) which means the arrival of blessings.
I know, lot’s of wordplay, so much so that my head kind of hurts right now.
Now that you know the 10 things you must do in order for your year to huat…what are you waiting for?
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