For expats and travelers, the excitement of being in China stretches beyond the Oriental architecture, gorgeous landscapes, traditional culture and exotic customs. Equally exciting are the cultural clashes that spring up once in a while, where you cannot decide whether you should find yourself amused, confused, laissez-faire or annoyed.
Below are some dos and don'ts to help you enjoy the coming Chinese New Year, whether you are visiting China for the first time or you're a resident.
A thorough clean before the Lunar New Year's Day
Days prior to the start of the Chinese New Year celebrations, families give their homes a thorough clean. This spring clean is believed to sweep away any bad luck of the preceding year.
Cleaning on the first day is prohibited because that will sweep away the newly arrived good luck. So, if your friends need your help in cleaning, you should not hesitate because this means a fresh start for the new year.
Prepare red packets on New Year's Eve
On Lunar New Year's Eve, senior family members such as grandparents and parents give hongbao, or red packets, also known as red envelopes (the money used to suppress or put down evil spirits), to children.
Red packets almost always contain money, from 50 yuan up to 1,000 yuan. So, if you are celebrating New Year's Eve with a Chinese family, the children will be happy to receive red packets regardless of how much or little is inside of them, the money represents your good wishes.
Prepare red packets in advance before you visit a Chinese family, because children and teenagers sometimes jokingly use the phrase "gongxi facai, hongbao nalai," roughly translated as "congratulations and be prosperous, now give me a red packet."
Select gifts carefully
In addition to red packets, gifts are also usually brought when visiting friends or relatives, such as fruit (typically oranges), cakes, biscuits, chocolates and sweets.
However, certain items should not be given as they are considered taboo, such as items associated with funerals like handkerchiefs, towels and chrysanthemums; sharp objects that symbolize cutting a tie such as scissors and knives; homophones for unpleasant topics, for example, "clock" that sounds like "end," "pear" that sounds like "separate" and "umbrella" sounds like "fall apart."
No haircut or washing on the first day
A good start means a happy life during the whole of the next year, so there are many traditional taboos.
On the first day, you may consider it a good idea to refresh yourself thoroughly to welcome the new year. For example, take a warm bath, have a haircut or wash clothes.
But according to Chinese traditional culture, taking a bath and doing your laundry are not allowed as they are considered to wash away all the year's good luck. Hair in Chinese is pronounced "fa," which means prosperity. Having a haircut would symbolize losing money.
