Lunar New Year dos and don’ts | CNN (2024)

FAQs

What is not allowed during Lunar New Year? ›

No washing clothes or hair or bathing. The first and second day of the lunar year is the birthday of the “Water God”, so you are not supposed to use water to show respect for the Water God. No sweeping the floor or taking out rubbish. If you do so, you are carrying your fortune out.

Many folks choose not to eat meat on New Year's Day as it is considered taboo to kill animals on the first day of the year. Congee should also be avoided as it was deemed as a common meal for those less fortunate in ancient times. Lastly, avoid taking any medicine on New Year's Day as it is also thought to be bad luck.

Leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year. The Chinese character for hair is the same first character in the word for prosper. This means washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away and dramatically reduces chances of prosperity in the year ahead.

In Chinese culture particularly, these are some important taboos to avoid. Do not wash clothes, hair or body. The Water God celebrates their birthday on the first and second day of the lunar year. Hence, it is important that you do not use water in order to show respect for the Water God.

Now that we've covered our New Year dos, it's time that we move on to our don'ts. Wearing black and white clothing is associated with grief and mourning, and are considered bad luck to wear during Chinese New Year.

Wearing Black or White

In traditional East Asian culture, black and white clothing is typically only worn for somber occasions such as funerals or periods of mourning. Wearing these colors during the New Year festival can be seen as inviting misfortune and even death into your life.

Washing laundry over the holiday can also mean washing good luck down the drain with the wash water. For similar reasons, many cultures believe washing your hair on New Year's is also bad luck, so you may want to skip washing anything on the holiday to be safe.

People believe that if you do clean on January 1, you end up sweeping away all of the good luck that's stored away in your home for that coming year, so you wait until January 2 to complete your household chores like laundry, dishes and tidying up instead.

Don't Do Those Dishes

Or take out the trash, or wash your clothes, or sweep your house... as the superstition goes, if you do, you might accidentally wash good luck and loved ones out of your life. Other beliefs state that whatever you do on New Year's is what you'll be doing the rest of the year.

The Chinese refrain from using foul language or speaking inauspicious words such as “die”, “bad luck”, “lose” or “sick” to prevent misfortune befalling members of the family. Before the New Year, children would be warned not to quarrel, fight or speak rudely.

Can you vacuum during Chinese New Year? ›

"Sweeping the floor is akin to sweeping away good luck for the year. We can vacuum the house, though."

While there are many traditions during the Chinese New Year meant to bring good fortune and prosperity—one of the most significant is the exchange of red envelopes. In Chinese culture, giving money in a red envelope is a way of sharing your blessings. This tradition is referred to as “lucky money.”

Don't: Swearing, saying words with negative meanings (e.g. death, poverty, ghosts) and bad-mouthing are things not to do on Chinese New Year as they will bring you bad luck all year long. The word “sì” for “4” is also considered a bad word since it sounds similar to “death” in Chinese.

Do not do your laundry during the first two days of the Chinese New Year. According to folklore, these two days are said to be the birthday of the god of water, who may get offended by a rinse and spin. There are also those who go as far as to avoid washing their hair on the first day.

You are not allowed to sleep during the first day of the New Year, or you will become lazy and lethargic for the whole year. Older people are allowed to nap, but young people should avoid sleeping during the day. Don't say people's names to wake them! Saying a person's name to wake them on New Year's day is a bad omen!

Red envelopes are a traditional part of Vietnamese culture. They are considered to be lucky money and are typically given to children during Vietnamese New Year. They are generally given by elders and adults, where a greeting or offering health and longevity is exchanged.

Lunar New Year dont's: no cleaning during the celebration

Therefore, sweeping and throwing away garbage is not done until five days after New Year's Eve (at least).

You should not take medicine during the Lunar New Year because it is said that you will be sick for the rest of the year to come. So unless you have to, (your health comes first) avoid medicine, doctors, shots, and surgery, too!

In Chinese tradition, white is an unlucky color because it symbolizes death, so all white foods are out for the celebration. Tofu, eggs, rice, cauliflower, white cheeses—say goodbye to them for the night. Instead, fill your New Year's table with other colorful foods.

Families have their own unique alcoholic beverage that they drink every year during the festival. The most common alcohol is Chinese white wine, or baijiu. Although similar to other East Asian drinks, baijiu is much stronger and more similar to vodka and is drank using shot glasses.

What is taboo to give as a gift during Lunar New Year holiday? ›

Sharp objects, similar to the handkerchief, are seen as cutting ties with a person. This can be seen negatively, and so it is often best to avoid gifts of knives or scissors on Chinese New Year. A common saying in Chinese is “one slash two parts” which China signifies the ending of a friendship.

People dress in the vibrant color for the Lunar New Year because they'd like to bring good luck with them into the changing seasons. Two colors within Chinese culture, however, should be avoided: black and white, which are traditionally colors worn in times of mourning.