In China, Chinese New year (or Spring Festival) is the most important holiday and therefore people prepare for it thoroughly. This year, the year of the tiger starts on February 1 but the week of January 23 – 30 is nearly as important as the holiday. Each family cleans out their house, not only from the dust, but also from all the bad luck and negative energy. It is the busiest time to clean, shop for food, clothes, gifts, and decorate the house both inside and outdoors.
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How do the Chinese prepare for the holiday?
More than just an everyday clean-up
Cleaning: the must-be-cleaned items include curtains, bedding, and clothes. The kitchen and bathroom are considered the most difficult rooms for general cleaning, where you need to carefully sweep all the tough to reach corners from dust, bad luck and misfortune, and make room for the arrival of new things to come. It is also important to thoroughly wash floors, windows and doors, cutlery, take out garbage and everything unnecessary.
Sweeping rules
More spiritual people clean the house with bamboo leaves as they drive out evil spirits. During the new year you can not sweep in the house, especially in the first 3 days, as good luck can be swept away. Some people hide brooms and dustpans. If sweeping the floor is absolutely necessary, you can collect dust in the corner so that new luck will remain in the house.
Self-care
A visit to the hairdresser is also a symbol of starting from scratch. On New Year’s eve, take a bath with pomelo leaves: this fruit brings abundance, fertility and good health. However if you do not want to wash your luck away – do not wash your hair on the first three days of the holiday.
Home decor
New Year signs with good wishes and spring greetings are usually posted in pairs or couplets. Red squares with gold letters meaning “happiness”,” harmony” or “prosperity” are glued on the door. These signs are hung upside down, because “arrived” in Chinese sounds like “upside down” and when people say that your “happiness” is upside down it actually means “happiness has already come”!
Spirited away
The red color scares away the dragon, which, according to legend, ate animals and people. Also, amulets made of peach wood from evil spirits are hung on the door.
