Chinese New Year - year end

Well, I guess the New Year should start from the 28th Dec on Lunar calendar. On the 28th Dec, the whole family will be involved in spring cleaning and having a bath. So we can welcome the New Year with nice soap smell and new clothes. In the old saying, having a bath and a new haircut will take off the bad luck and illness can't get near you. Remind you, people don't clean up the house until the 5th day, it's better to do spring clean before the bath.

On the 29th Dec, the day before Chinese New Year Eve, it's the busiest day ever. First, Chun Lian - the Spring Festival couplets (it was written "mostly in lacquer either directly or indirectly applied) on two columns in the central front part of a traditional hall or main entrance door, have to be glued on entrance door. Also some couplets with single word or symbol would be glued on specificed location with upside down, such as: 春-Spring on the window, 財-Wealth on the draw,滿-Full on rice container...etc. Later on, the decorations should be put in place. Chinese prefered to use colour Red to decorate New Year or Wedding. So, it's reddish everywhere, on paper, on decoration, on flower arrangement, on clothes, on lamp.

On the 30th Dec, the Chinese New Year Eve! The Spring cleaning should be done, the house is sparkling clean. Those Chun Lian and paper should be glued and hung up. Householder is making Nian Gao and the feast is prepared for the rest of the week. The whole family will have new clothes. It's the night for the family to sit down and enjoy the meal, to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. Families will make dumplings, some of them will put a coin / chilli / green onion into the dumpling, it means wealth / children / high IQ. On the table, there must be a dish of fish. During meal, the fish head and tail are taboo to eat, it meant the fortune in coming year will be enough for daily use and even more for saving. Oh, it's a night where gambling is allowed. Enjoy!