Happy Lunar New Year! 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, meaning that those born in the year of the Ox and Goat are the luckiest zodiac signs this year. If you aren’t born in the year of the Ox or Goat like me though, don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of Lunar New Year traditions that will be sure to bring you prosperity and luck this year!
1. Wear red and gold
Wearing a dash of red and gold on New Years Day (that’s today so its not too late!) is a great way to attract good luck for the rest of the year and ward off any bad spirits! Whether it be red socks, a red sweater, a red scarf or gold jewellery, Lunar New Year is all about attracting good vibes inside and out!
2. Have a lucky meal with friends and family
One of the best traditions of Lunar New Year is getting together with your friends and family! Food is an integral part of many Asian cultures and it really shows this time of the year with all the amazing dinner spreads. Some particularly “lucky” foods include dumplings, which symbolize the brightness of the moon and the promise of a bright and prosperous year ahead, and fish, as the word “fish” and “surplus” share the same pronunciation in Chinese.
3. Buy new clothing
I don’t know about you but I’m always looking for a reason to do some online shopping so this tradition is definitely one of my favourites! It is said that buying new clothes symbolizes welcoming the renewal of the New Year and wearing it will lead to good blessings. But make sure to avoid dark colors like black and gravitate towards bright “lucky” colours!
4. Offering sacrifices to ancestors
A big part of Lunar New Year is celebrating our roots and paying our respect to our ancestors. That’s why in many Asian households, there is often a shrine/alter dedicated to ancestors where various dishes and fruits are offered as a sacrifice in return for good fortune. If you are currently living away from home and do not have access to a place to offer sacrifices to your ancestors, a great alternative is calling home and paying your respects to the elders in your family!
5. Things NOT to do:
Now that you know some ways to bring about good luck this Lunar New Year, here are some things you should avoid doing so as to not bring about bad luck this year!
- Don’t sweep up on New Year’s Day, otherwise you’ll ‘sweep all your luck away’.
- Don’t eat porridge for breakfast, otherwise you’ll ‘become poor in the upcoming year’.
- Don’t wash your clothes and hair (on New Year’s Day), otherwise you’ll ‘wash fortune away’.
- No odd amounts of lucky money (red pockets) and avoid ‘4’ and ’40’ which both sound like the Chinese word for death
- Avoid breaking a bowl, plate, glass, etc., breaking symbolizes incompleteness and bad luck.
Thanks for reading, Happy Lunar New Year!
CAISA Fashion Show 