Chinese New Year - no cleaning, don't eat porridge and put down the scissors are just some of the Lunar taboos
Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year, with 2025 being called the 'Year of the Snake'.
At the beginning of the lunar year, things that happen during the Spring Festival are believed to signs of good or bad things to come for the upcoming year. This means people are extremely cautious about their words and deeds to avoid bringing them bad luck.
According to The Confucius Institute for Scotland, there are many taboos that people should avoid on New Year's Day. Most are aware that such folk taboos and superstitions are not scientific. However, they carry the wishes of Chinese people to pray for good and avoid evil.
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Confucius Institute teacher Wang Qixia has provided a list of things to avoid on January 29.
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.
No eating porridge. In old times, only poor families would eat porridge, so in order to gather wealth in the coming year, do not eat porridge.
Do not urge someone to get out of bed. If you are urged out of bed on the first morning, it means that you will be rushed the whole year.
Do not give New Year’s greetings to someone still in the bed. Doing so might lead to that person lying in bed sick for the whole year.
Avoid using needles, knives or scissors on the first day. These items may cause bleeding. Blood is considered unlucky.
Do not take an afternoon nap. Napping on New Year’s Day indicates laziness for the next year.
Married women are not supposed to visit their parents’ home. They can only go there on the second or the third day.
When giving lucky money as a gift, the amount should be an even number rather than an odd number. Even numbers are supposed to be lucky numbers.
Younger people should bow to older people, and when they do so, the posture of their hands is very important. The left hand should cover the right fist as “left” was supposed to be more respectful in ancient China. The opposite posture is used to show respect to the dead.
The fourth day is the day when the Kitchen God returns to one’s house. People are not supposed to go out on that day. They should stay at home to prepare sacrificial offerings to welcome the Kitchen God back.
Only from the fifth day of the New Year are people finally allowed to take out rubbish and sweep the floors. On this day, the rubbish and dust turn into “symbols of poverty”, so cleaning the house means to expel “poverty”. People are also supposed to receive the God of Fortune, so traders worship the God of Fortune and reopen their businesses.
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