Curiosities! Most Things You Should Not Do On Chinese New Year

Chinese families have a number of things that they do not allow their loved ones to do during Chinese New Year so as to enjoy good luck and prosperity in the new year. In this article, we will share some of the top things you should not do. We would like to emphasise that some are taboos only on the first day while some superstitions last the whole New Year Festival season (from the 1st to 15th of the Lunar New Year). To fully understand the Chinese culture, you should go to YNSITU for language courses abroad.

1. Avoid taking medicine

It is taboo to brew herbal medicine and in today’s world, it has extended to taking medicine on the first day of the lunar year. Doing so is frowned upon as it is believed to curse the person taking the medicine that he or she will get ill for a whole year.

2. Don’t sweep or take out the garbage

Sweeping on the first day of Chinese New Year is associated with sweeping wealth and fortunes away. Similarly, taking out garbage symbolizes dumping out the good luck or fortune from the house.

3. Don’t eat porridge and meat for breakfast.

Porridge should not be eaten throughout the day actually. This simple dish is considered poor man food and you would not want to start the year with this bad omen.

Meat on the other hand is avoided out of respect for religion particularly when they are Buddhist, they believed to be against the killing of animals.

4. Don’t wash clothes and hair

Clothes and hair are not washed on the first and second day because these two days are celebrated as the birthday of the Water God. Furthermore, in the Chinese language, hair has the same pronunciation as fa 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.

5. Needlework should not be done

Needlework should not be done. The use of knives and scissors is to be avoided for any accident, whether harming a person or tool, is thought to lead to inauspicious things and the depletion of wealth in the coming year.

6. A married daughter only visit on 2nd day

A married daughter is not allowed to visit her parents’ house on the first day as this is believed to bring bad luck and cause economic hardship for her family. Traditionally a married daughter visits the house of her parents on the second day of Chinese New Year.

7. Keep children from crying

Crying children are believed to bring bad luck so parents do their best to keep children happy as much as possible.

8. Avoid breaking tools or other equipment

Breaking tools or other equipment during this period is associated with a loss of wealth for the coming year; therefore tradesmen and business people, in general, take great precautions to prevent it.

9. No visiting hospital

A visit to the hospital or any medical facilities within the celebratory period is believed to bring illness to the person in question for the duration of the coming year; therefore visits to the hospital are avoided, except in cases of extreme emergency.

10. Avoid borrowing money

Money should not be lent on New Year’s Day, and all debts have to be paid by New Year’s Eve. You should avoid borrowing money during the celebratory period else you will consistently be in a state of inadequacies where money has to be borrowed.

We hope the above will help you better prepare for your next Chinese New Year. Here’s Gong Xi Fa Cai in advance for you and your loved ones. You may want to go YNSITU to learn Chinese in China.