Is this your first time celebrating Chinese New Year? Looking to impress your Asian family or relatives? The festive season is full of traditions and customs to follow but thankfully today you only have to remember a few important ones. In Malaysia, here are the taboos we adhere to every Lunar New Year. Read on to find out our Chinese New Year do’s and don’ts.
Anyone growing up Asian were taught these Chinese New Year do’s and don’ts. Some were words of caution before visiting grandma’s and others unfortunately were learned by making mistakes. These customs may seem weird to someone outside the Chinese culture but they are rooted in belief to keep good fortune for the family.
One such example is sweeping during the festive season. A common belief is that sweeping and cleaning the house at this time will ‘sweep away good luck’. Well, we hope you’ve done your spring cleaning before Chinese New Year. Another common one is wearing the colours black and white which should be avoided in traditional households at all costs. The reason why is that black and white are normally worn at Chinese funerals in mourning. These are some of the many Chinese New Year do’s and don’ts that every Asian learns growing up.
Whether if it’s your first time celebrating or you need a overdue memory refresh, this guide is for you. We’ve listed the most common Malaysian Chinese New Year do’s and dont’s that will keep you in good graces this festive season.
Chinese New Year do’s and don’ts every Malaysian should know
Do
Wear red and generally bright colours
Wearing red is an obvious tradition as it symbolises prosperity, passion, and good luck in Chinese tradition. However, colours like gold and silver are just as welcome to be worn during the festive season. Generally, brighter livelier colours like pastels and bright shades are accepted as livelier colours are generally associated with happiness and fun.
Greet your relative’s elders
Want to get more favour from your elder’s? Then make sure to greet them well whenever they arrive at a venue or when you meet them. A simple smile and hug may seem small but can make their entire day. So do keep them in mind this Chinese New Year season.
Prepare gifts or ang pao packets for friends and family
With greetings and hugs come the long awaited gifts for the family. Of course, giving ang pao packets of money to your elders will make you the favourite. You can take that a step further by getting them gifts like their favourite Chinese New Year snacks, clothes, or household items.
Eat lots of fish
Steamed fish is a staple dish at Chinese New Year reunion dinners for a reason. The Chinese word for fish, yu (鱼) sounds similar to the word for abundance, yu (余). So basically, the more you eat fish the more abundant you will be this year. That’s your excuse to eat plenty of delicious fish dishes this new year.
Stay up late on Chinese New Year’s Eve
The new years eve reunion dinner does not end after meal. In fact, it is very common to celebrate until the early hours of the morning. This is because many will gather outside the house to light fireworks or view them. It is also a time to catch-up and chat with family and friends. The Mandarin word for this tradition, shou sui, also happens to sound like the phrase for ‘holding on to age’. Thus, the common belief is that the longer you stay up, the longer your parents lives will be.
Wake up early on the first day
This might sound counterintuitive after staying up so late the night before but there is a practical reason for waking up early. The first day of Chinese New Year involves getting the family together for the annual ang pao giving ceremony from parents to children. Because of this waking up early on the first day is seen as a sign of respect for your family.
Do not
Wear white and black
In Chinese communities, white and black are the colours worn when grieving for a family member who has passed away. Generally, black has a negative association in Chinese belief. It is the colour of death, mourning, and loss, everything the Chinese New Year should not be. So stay off the Scandi-minimalist outfits just for this week.
Talk about death and grim subjects
When spilling the tea over tea this Chinese New Year, try your best not to bring up the topics of death and misfortune. Other than the obvious fact that it is the season of new beginnings, it is an old superstition that talking about these subjects will bring them to life.
Avoid breaking anything at all cost
When moving around the house this year be very cautious of grandma’s vintage dinnerware. This is due to the belief that a broken object during Chinese New Year is a bad omen for someone in the family. Also, you do not want to ruin what could be rare irreplaceable family heirlooms.
Offer to clean and sweep the floors
You may wonder why the house is not meant to be tidied up, especially with so many people visiting. This stems from the belief that sweeping dust away from the house may sweep away your luck for the year too. It is a common sight after Chinese New Year firecrackers are lit that the red remains will stay on the ground.
Visiting hospitals or clinics
It is a common belief that visiting a hospital during this time may bring you an illness or bad luck. Practically that’s not entirely wrong, diseases can be caught at a medical centre. This doesn’t mean you can’t visit a doctor if you’re actually sick, but wear a face mask and take the necessary precautions so your illness does not spread to others.
Eat porridge
While porridge is a delicious comfort food, eating it during Chinese New Year is not a good sign. Porridge is often associated with poverty and food you eat when your sick. This negative association is why it is not served during festive dinners as a superstition for lack of wealth during the year.
(Hero image credit: Unsplash/Jason Sung / Feature image credit: Unsplash/Jason Leung)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
