CNY Traditions and Taboos: Secrets to Good Luck From Eve to the 15th

Lunar New Year celebrations are rich with CNY traditions and taboos symbolizing prosperity, unity, and good fortune.

From enjoying a reunion dinner that brings families together to carefully selecting dishes that symbolize prosperity and good fortune, these practices have been passed down through generations.

Key CNY traditions include sending off the Kitchen God (送灶) to report to the heavens, setting off fireworks (开炸) to scare away evil spirits, and engaging in rituals believed to attract fortune (捞起), all integral to marking the end of the old year and the ushering in of the new.

The festival is punctuated with activities like observing Red Mouth Day (赤口) to avoid disputes, welcoming back the Kitchen God (迎灶) with offerings to secure his benevolent report, and performing rituals to expel poverty (送穷) and welcome prosperity.

Adding to these, welcoming the God of Wealth (接财神) is a pivotal event, symbolizing the hope for financial success and good fortune in the coming year.

Other significant moments include celebrating Human Day (人日) to honor our shared humanity and extending special wishes to sons-in-law (子婿如意), weaving together familial and cultural ties, culminating in the Lantern Festival (至元宵).

As times change and trends evolve, how many of these CNY traditions and taboos that were observed during the Spring Festival are you still familiar with and follow?

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the Lunar New Year’s Eve

Reunion Dinner:

• On New Year’s Eve, the whole family gathers to have the reunion dinner, and it is better to eat as late as possible. The meal should include luxurious dishes, as it’s important for the New Year’s meal to have leftovers, which are eaten on the first day of the New Year, symbolizing abundance from the previous year that continues into the next.
• Eating fish but leaving the head and tail untouched symbolizes “abundance throughout the year.”
• Eating dumplings shaped like ingots, especially if you bite into one with a coin inside, brings wealth and good fortune for the entire year.
• Eating glutinous rice balls signifies “family reunion.”
• Eating rice cake symbolizes “reaching higher levels of success” in the coming year.
• Eating leeks represents “enduring and lasting.”
• Eating certain long vegetables, such as mustard greens, which have large and long leaves symbolizing longevity and overcoming hardship, and selecting red-rooted spinach for its auspicious red color. These vegetables should not be cut to symbolize “longevity.”
• Rice and water containers should not be left empty to “accumulate wealth” and avoid the worry of running out of food throughout the year.
• Spilling oil is considered extremely unlucky. Whether it’s oil for lighting lamps or for cooking, it must be handled carefully to avoid accidents; spilling oil is likened to “toppling the stove,” which could lead to misfortune in the coming year.
• “Selling laziness,” where children go to neighbors’ doors shouting “The God of Wealth has arrived” and hand over a red paper with “God of Wealth” written on it. The neighbors are expected to open their doors and give lucky money in return as a reciprocal gesture.
• Tapping bowls and plates with chopsticks: This action is akin to a beggar begging for food, symbolizing that one will become poor and unlucky, as in the past, only beggars would tap on bowls with chopsticks!
• Shaking legs while eating: It is commonly said that “shaking legs and shrugging shoulders will impoverish three generations,” and since eating is related to fortune, continuously shaking your legs while eating symbolizes shaking away your wealth, leading to greater poverty!
• Not holding the bowl while eating: There’s a saying, “Not holding the bowl invites a lifetime of misfortune,” as it is disrespectful to food. It is believed to bring hunger, inability to be satisfied, and cold due to lack of clothing.
• Referring to adding more rice as begging: One should not say “begging for food” when asking for more, as it sounds like a beggar asking for food, which is very impolite and unlucky! Instead, one should say “serving more food,” “adding more,” or “refilling.”
• Causing a commotion while eating: Making noise or even fighting during a rare reunion meal not only disrupts the meal and the atmosphere but can also affect the harmony among family members!
• Eating with the door wide open: Eating with the door open is actually a feng shui taboo. It lacks privacy, reduces a sense of security, and can bring in negative energies from outside, leading to financial loss.
• Chopsticks standing upright in rice: Placing chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice resembles the incense sticks in funeral rites, inviting ancestors to eat, but is very impolite for the living.
• Starting to eat before everyone is present: Eating a reunion meal symbolizes coming together, and starting without everyone present loses its meaning. Adhering to the traditional Chinese respect for elders by letting them start the meal and serve dishes is important.
• Turning over fish: Customarily, turning over the fish while eating symbolizes turning from wealth to poverty, indicating a downturn in fortunes or lack of money in the coming year.
• Not finishing the dishes: Not finishing the dishes on the day of the reunion meal, especially fish, signifies abundance throughout the year, implying that last year’s bounty will last into the new year!

If you have your reunion dinner outside, such as at a restaurant or another family member’s home, consider these cny traditions to maintain auspicious traditions and positive energy:

• Return Home Together: After the dinner, make it a point for the family to return home together. This act reinforces family unity and the significance of starting the new year as one.
• Carry a Symbol of Luck: When heading out for the reunion dinner, each family member can carry a small symbol of luck, such as a jade pendant or a red accessory. This ensures that luck accompanies you, even when you’re away from home.
• Set a Curfew: Plan to return home at a reasonable hour. The idea is to be indoors before midnight strikes, allowing the family to be together at the moment the new year begins, symbolizing togetherness and security for the year ahead.
• Homecoming Ritual: Upon returning home, consider a simple ritual like lighting incense or candles, or sharing a toast with a sweet drink. This can mark the transition from the outside celebration back to the safety and warmth of home, welcoming good energy into your living space.
• Leave Lights On Before Leaving: If you’re going out for the reunion dinner, leave some lights on at home. This symbolizes the warmth of your family and invites good luck into your home while you’re away.
• Quiet Moment of Gratitude: Once back home, take a moment for each family member to express a hope or gratitude for the new year. Doing this in the comfort of your home, even after an external celebration, brings the focus back to the core values of family and togetherness.

Celebrating the reunion dinner outside doesn’t mean you have to forego tradition or auspicious practices. With a little planning and mindfulness, you can ensure that the spirit of the Lunar New Year is preserved and cherished, regardless of where you dine.

What About the Tradition of Avoiding “Reunion Dinner Crashing” in Old CNY Traditions?

The concept of “reunion dinner crashing,” which traditionally refers to attending a reunion dinner uninvited or without a familial bond, was often frowned upon in old traditions. The reunion dinner is deeply rooted in family unity and harmony, and the presence of an uninvited guest could disrupt the intimate family atmosphere.

However, modern practices have become more inclusive, extending hospitality to friends and non-family members, reflecting a broader interpretation of “family” and community spirit.

Regarding tattoos, traditional views often associated tattoos with negative connotations, and individuals with visible tattoos might have been subject to prejudice, particularly in conservative or traditional settings. However, societal attitudes towards tattoos have evolved significantly, and they are more widely accepted in many cultures today.

The focus of the reunion dinner has shifted towards the celebration of togetherness, leaving less emphasis on such traditional stigmas.

It’s important to note that the essence of the Lunar New Year and the reunion dinner is about celebrating new beginnings, forgiveness, and unity.

As societies evolve, so do cny traditions, adapting to include more inclusive and diverse expressions of celebration.

CNY Traditions and Taboos On the Lunar New Year’s Eve:

• Clean Up Together: After the dinner, involve the whole family in tidying up. It symbolizes clearing away the old to welcome the new.
• Open Windows: Briefly open windows and doors at midnight to let in the new year’s luck and say goodbye to the old year.
• Light Firecrackers: If local regulations allow, light firecrackers to ward off evil spirits and attract good fortune. This practice is believed to create a joyful atmosphere that welcomes positive energy.
• Exchange Red Packets: Elders should distribute red packets (hongbao) to younger family members. This is believed to transfer fortune and blessings.
• Display Oranges: Place fresh oranges or tangerines around the home. They symbolize wealth and good luck due to their color and pronunciation in Chinese.
• Avoid Negative Talk: Keep conversations light and positive. Avoid discussing unlucky topics or using inauspicious words to maintain a cheerful environment.
• Wear New Clothes: Encourage family members to wear new clothes, especially in bright colors like red, which is considered very auspicious and symbolizes good fortune and joy.
• Hang Auspicious Decorations: Continue to display or even add new auspicious decorations like couplets, lanterns, and paper cuttings to attract good luck throughout the year.
• Share Sweet Treats: End the evening by sharing sweet treats among family members, symbolizing a sweet and prosperous year ahead.
• Keep Lights On: Keeping the lights on in your home until morning is a practice believed to guide good luck and prosperity into your life in the new year, while also warding off evil spirits and epidemics, thus ensuring a year filled with prosperity and well-being.
• Play Traditional Music: Play soft, traditional Chinese music to create a peaceful and joyous atmosphere, inviting positive energy and harmony into the home.
• Shou Sui: Staying up late on New Year’s Eve, known as Shou Sui, is a tradition deeply embedded in Chinese culture, where family members, especially the elders and adults, stay awake to pray for the family’s reunion and safety. This act is believed to extend the lives of the parents and bring about protection and blessings for the entire family in the coming year.

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the First Day of the Lunar New Year

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there are several cny traditional customs and taboos people follow meticulously to avoid negatively affecting their fortune for the coming year.

These include prohibitions against eating porridge, consuming salty glutinous rice balls, cooking new meals (meaning lighting a fire to cook), and taking afternoon naps. But what’s the reason behind these practices?

Here’s an explanation of the top ten dos and don’ts for the first day of the Lunar New Year:

1. Ancestral Worship: On the first day of the year, it’s customary to place offerings such as red dates, candied winter melon, peanut candy, and fruits in front of the ancestral tablets and sincerely worship with incense.
2. Vegetarian Meals Only: Avoid eating meat and taking lives on this day, as shedding blood is considered an ominous sign that could lead to disasters involving blood.
3. Handling Leftover Rice Cake: Any uneaten rice cake should not be discarded until it molds, symbolizing prosperity (the sound “fa” in Mandarin, similar to “to prosper”).
4. Avoid Porridge for Breakfast: Eating porridge in the morning symbolizes poverty, and doing so on the first meal of the New Year could lead to a year of impoverished living.
5. Avoid Salty Glutinous Rice Balls: Known colloquially as “beggar’s food,” particularly those in business should avoid them to prevent a year of poverty.
6. No Cooking New Meals: On the first day, it’s customary to eat the leftovers from New Year’s Eve dinner, symbolizing the abundance of food from the previous year carrying over.
7. Avoid Taking Medicine: Doing so suggests a year filled with illness, unless one is truly sick and cannot go without it.
8. Stock Up on Essentials: Ensure there’s enough firewood, rice, oil, and salt stored, with containers filled to avoid emptiness.
9. No Afternoon Naps: Sleeping during the day can affect one’s career fortune negatively, as per the old saying advising against laziness.
10. Do Not Open the Dustbin: In ancient times, water was associated with wealth, so opening the dustbin and using water was believed to drain wealth away.

Beyond the first day, the entire period up to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has several important dos and don’ts, specifically on the second, third, fifth, seventh, and fifteenth days.

To ensure a year blessed by lucky stars, welcoming wealth and achieving outstanding results in work or studies, what should one eat to court good omens?

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the Second Day of the New Year:

Nine dishes and one soup (9𩠌1汤) for the new year’s meal, start with vegetarian. It’s best to have nine dishes and one soup, symbolizing “Perfection 十全十美.” remember to start with a vegetarian dish, signifying the start of the market 开斋, which is especially important for those in business or brokerage.

1. The ancients began the New Year on the second day, known as “the day of the first market 头祃,” with a “New Year’s meal 开年饭” to symbolize a year of abundant harvests.
2. Welcoming the God of Wealth and married daughters returning to their parental home for New Year’s greetings. Gifts brought back should be in even numbers, not odd, as odd numbers are generally used for funerals.

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the Third Day of the New Year:

Inauspicious to offer new year’s greetings.

1. The third day is also known as “Red Mouth Day 赤狗日,” prone to arguments and disputes, and thus not suitable for New Year’s greetings.
2. It’s considered the day “rats get married 老鼠娶亲,” so people should go to bed early to avoid disturbing the rats. The night also observes the tradition of “rats distributing money 老鼠分钱,” with salt, rice, and cakes scattered in the home, known as “rice downdry 米粧,” symbolizing sharing the harvest with rats during the New Year.

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the Fifth Day of the New Year:

Eating dumplings to avoid gossip and “Sending away poverty” by taking out the trash.

1. It’s essential to eat dumplings, also known as “pinching the mouths of little people 捏小人嘴,” to avoid slander. The shape of dumplings resembles gold ingots, celebrating the birthday of the God of Wealth.
2. Trash from the first to the fourth day is considered “wealth energy 财气,” but from the fifth day, it becomes “poverty energy 穷气,” time to “send away poverty 送穷!” Clean up the trash accumulated during the Lunar New Year period and set off firecrackers to sweep away bad luck and welcome wealth.
3. According to “Yanjing Suishi Ji 《燕京岁时纪》” and “Qing Bi Lei Chao 清裨类钞,” the fifth day is called “breaking the five 破五” in the north and “separating” in the south, meaning the taboos of the first four days can be broken on this day.

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the Seventh Day of the New Year:

“Human Day” (人日) for good fortune, eating scholar’s porridge

1. Also known as “Human Day,” the tradition includes eating porridge (及第粥) for good luck, specifically “scholar’s porridge” to symbolize achieving the top rank in exams.
2. Some consume seven-vegetable porridge (七菜粥), made from seven different vegetables, on the seventh day for good omens and to extend luck.

CNY Traditions and Taboos for the Fifteenth Day of the New Year:

Eating glutinous rice balls (汤圆) for a complete new year.

1. Eating Yuanxiao (glutinous rice balls) on this day, with the full moon in the sky and glutinous rice balls in the bowl, symbolizes a complete and reunited family. Since the Ming dynasty, the Spring Festival celebrations officially end on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival), with vibrant celebrations, hence the term “little New Year.”

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