Chinese New Year Dos and Don’ts!

Chinese New Year Dos and Don’ts!

The Year of the Dog

(an excerpt from dogtime.com)

The Year of the Dog begins on February 16th, 2018 and ends February 4th, 2019, so any babies born between those dates will have the dog as their Chinese zodiac sign. This will be the first Year of the Dog in twelve years. 2018 is further designated as an Earth year, which is one of the five elements that are also cycled through in the Chinese zodiac.

An Earth Dog year only comes around once every 60 years. So if you were born between February 18th, 1958 and February 7th, 1959, this will be first time you will have been alive during a year that shares your exact birth sign. You will be extremely lucky if you live to see the next Earth Dog year in 2078.

Unfortunately, 2018 is said to be an unlucky year for people born under the sign of the dog. In Chinese astrology, years that share your birth sign are thought to bring bad luck. It is recommended that dogs stay calm and try to relax during this time.

New industrial projects and developments in energy are predicted to be successful in 2018, while endeavors that are based on greed and individual drive will likely be rejected. Familial relationships will be of importance during this year. It’s also a good time to make lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking or starting a new business, though it may also be a time filled with short periods of loneliness or melancholy. That said, this could be a year of hope, filled with dialogue that helps cultures achieve solidarity and reject indifference.

This seems to be the most talked about post we do all year, because who couldn’t use some LUCK!  This is my personal New Year and I take (almost) all this to heart, especially the part about whatever you do on New Year’s Day is what you’ll be doing all year, so choose wisely, do something unique or different!

A Chinese proverb states that all creations are reborn on New Year’s day. The Chinese New Year is a celebration of change … out with the old and in with the new!

By Chinese New Year’s Eve, you should have done the following:

• Clean the entire home to get rid of all the things that are associated with the old year.
• Put away all brooms and brushes.
• Pay debts.
• Resolve differences with family members, friends, neighbors and business associates.
• Buy oranges (good health and long life), tangerines (long relationships, fruitful and multiply for having children or persimmons (happiness and wealth).
• Fresh flowers, if a flower blooms on New Year’s Day this is a sign of prosperity all year.
• Get together with close family members for the “reunion” dinner.
• Open every door and window in your home at midnight of New Year’s Eve to let go of the old year.

On Chinese New Year’s Day…

• What you do today is what you’ll be doing ALL year long, choose wisely!
• Do not lend any money, otherwise you’ll be lending all year.
• Do not use foul language or unlucky words, like the word ‘four” which is the word for death, do not talk about death or ghosts on this day.
• Do not reference the past year or things in the past, only speak of the coming year.
• Wear new clothes or shoes, especially bright red.
• Eat candy in the morning for luck and also fish and chicken during the day.
• Do not wash your hair.
• Do not cry on New Year’s Day or you will cry throughout the whole year.
• Do not sweep the floor.  Bad luck!
• Do not greet people who are in mourning.
• Do not drop your chopsticks.
• Do not use knives or scissors.
• The first person you meet or first words heard are indicative of the setting of the whole year.

And for those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to leave the home and the direction, which is most auspicious to head out.  (Maybe a little overboard!)

Happy Chinese New Year!

In Prosperity,

Christina Martin

Tao to Wellness