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8 auspicious Chinese New Year traditions

BY YAP PIK KUAN
February 03, 2016

Red is the colour of the season as it is considered a lucky and prosperous. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 3, 2016.Chinese New Year is upon us again as the town is starting to look a little redder and the distant sounds of lion dances can be heard.

A festival to welcome spring and a season of renewal, celebrations include more than just indulging in delicious biscuits and looking forward to ang pows.

Here are some eight festive customs to keep in mind for a Chinese New Year that will bring you fortune, luck and prosperity:

Keeping an auspicious house

It is customary not to clean the house on the first day of Chinese New Year as it would mean sweeping all the year's prosperity and luck away. Spring cleaning is done days and weeks ahead, and in preparation for the arrival of the new year, the house is decorated in all things red, a lucky colour for the Chinese. Also, avoid using knives or scissors as it “cuts” your wealth. 

Giving and receiving ang pows

Ang pow, or red packets, are a highlight during Chinese New Year, particularly to those receiving the envelopes containing money. The precursor of the ang pow came from the Qin Dynasty when elders would give the younger generation coins threaded by a red string to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck and health.

Mandarin oranges and ang pow are a few of Chinese New Year's festive items. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 3, 2016.

Today, these coins have evolved into red packets that range from simple to elaborate designs and are typically given to the little ones or unmarried individuals. Odd-numbered amounts of money are avoided as it is believed to be bad luck.

Bai nian

Literally translating to “pray to the year”, bai nian is the act of visiting family and friends during Chinese New Year. Guests will don their new clothes and bring a gift (often biscuits, oranges and an ang pow) to welcome the new year and renew relationships. In the Malaysian context, the "open house" custom is derived from this practice.

Firecracker fun

Legend has it that a ferocious sea-dwelling beast called Nian would rise and terrorise an ancient Chinese village every spring, devouring crops, cattle and children. A strange old man appeared one day and drove off the monster by lighting firecrackers and decking out houses in red paper, scaring the beast off with the bright lights and loud noise.

While there are no monsters to keep away in the modern world, lighting firecrackers has become synonymous with the welcoming of the Lunar New Year.

Roaring lion dances

An alternative to the Nian myth sees a monk taming the beast with a red ribbon, turning him into a guardian of the village rather than attacker. This tamed version of Nian is represented in the lion dance, which can be broadly divided into the Northern and Southern styles. The former tends to be less decorative while the latter is more common in Malaysia. Often performed to bless homes or businesses, lion dances are accompanied by drums, cymbals and a gong – the loud noise wards off evil spirits and bad luck.

Lion dances are a thrill to watch as the 'lion' navigates seemingly impossible jumps and turns. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 3, 2016. Eating fish

Fish is an absolute must-have on any Chinese New Year dinner table as it is symbolic of abundance. As the characters for surplus and fish are homonyms, the saying “Nian Nian You Yu” can mean both “May you have fish every year” or “May you have abundance every year”. Steamed fish is especially popular during the festive season as is raw fish in yee sang. 

Tossing yee sang

A fish salad that originated in Malaysia and Singapore (although the jury is still out on who really invented the dish), yee sang is primarily found in the Southeast Asian region.

Ingredients like shredded vegetables, pomelo and crackers are arranged on a platter before being topped off with sauces and raw fish, with every component carrying symbols of health, fortune and luck. Key to this dish is the raw ingredients, as the word "raw" in Cantonese also means "life". Everyone at the table is then invited to toss the dish together while shouting out their wishes for coming year to ring in the Lunar New Year. 

Yee sang is traditionally served with raw fish or jellyfish but modern toppings include anything from abalone to lobster. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 3, 2016. Prosperous fruits

Oranges and pineapples are abundant during Chinese New Year as their names also carry double meanings. In Cantonese, mandarin oranges are gold (kam) while in Mandarin, they represent luck (da ji). Pineapples, on the other hand, welcomes fortune in Hokkien (ong lai, literally “fortune, come”).

The golden colour of the fruits also add to their auspicious status but apart from their symbolism, oranges and pineapples are just plain delicious! Be sure to avoid pears as the name (lei) means to split. – February 3, 2016.