How did cultural practices over Lunar New Year come about and what do they symbolise?

The new year is all about having a renewed outlook filled with fresh hopes for all the positives — good luck, good health, prosperity, and happiness.

For some Chinese communities observing Lunar New Year, adhering to specific rituals helps set the tone for the rest of the year.

We asked you to share some of your auspicious practices so we can find out more about their origins and the symbolic meanings they uphold.

Let’s unpack.

The Chinese culture is doused in symbolism and homophones, with origins rooted in legends that are thousands of years old, explains Ning Zhang, a Chinese language expert from the University of Adelaide.

With that in mind, she says every practice is intended to uphold the positive themes that underpin any Lunar New Year or Spring Festival celebration.

The list of ‘what not to do’

Can’t sweep the floor or do any cleaning on the first day of the new year.

— Anita

I was told to never sweep the floor, wash my hair, or buy new shoes on Chinese New Year.

— Emnabelle

You have to clean the whole house before Chinese New Year reunion dinner. Nor can you get a haircut or buy shoes in the first seven days of the new year as well.

— Grant

1) Not washing or cutting your hair on new year’s day! 2) Not sweeping the house or cleaning around the new year.

— Fran

We are not allowed to sweep or clean the house on the first day of the Chinese New Year. This is to ensure we don’t sweep away any luck or good fortune.

— Michelle

Pan Wang, an Associate Professor in Chinese and Asian studies from the University of New South Wales, explains how homophones come into full swing during celebrations.

Dr Wang says the Chinese word for shoes (xie) has the same pronunciation as evil (xie).

So to buy new shoes is to attract evil spirits and to throw away old ones is to ward off evil spirits.

There are also several variations behind why you shouldn’t wash or cut your hair on New Year’s Day.

One of which she says, plays on homophones but also links back to a grim past.

“In history, the Manchus imposed their identity on the Han, by forcing them to clean their foreheads and braid their hair, which was rejected by the Han,” Dr Wang says.

So missing this ancient practice (si jiu) speaks the same as “uncles will die” (si jiu).

That brought about the saying: “If you cut your hair in the first month of the Lunar New Year, your uncles will die.”

Etiquette when visiting others

Don’t gift odd amounts of money in hong bao (especially not unlucky number four). Wear red for luck.

— Susannah

We only say positive things all day and wear lots of red for good luck!

— Anna

Must visit those older than you on New Year’s Day and bring fruits to pay respects. 

— Cassie

Dr Zhang explains the art behind gifting hong baos — envelopes of money.

It draws on the concept of double happiness, derived from the Chinese characters for joy, that’s often written in pairs as part of well-wishes during weddings.

“So anything in double is considered to be better or luckier,” Dr Zhang says. 

And she says this transfers on how even numbers are preferred over odd ones.

Fruits are also seen as emblems of well-wishes, often by wordplay.

For example, apples (ping) sounds the same as peace (ping) and oranges (cheng) sounds the same for success (cheng).

“Fruits are not only meant for gifting, they can also go on dining tables as decorations to invite good wishes for yourself,” says Dr Zhang.

Feasting on foods with meaning

The first dish we eat is Lo han jai (Buddha’s Delight) to symbolise purifying and cleansing and we only eat our nian gao (new year sweet rice cake) on the second day of the new year to officially ring in the new year.

— Anna

Eat Yee Sang (fish salad) together so that you have abundance in the new year because fish = yu = homophone for abundance. This salad is tossed together by everybody while saying “lo hei” out loud. The higher the tossing, the more abundance in the new year.

— Susannah

The last home cooked meal is New Year’s Eve dinner and, until the third day of the New Year, the kitchen is closed. Only leftovers are consumed in the first two days. This is as implied that the good fortune of abundant food from previous year will continue to this year.

— Jack

“What you put on the dinner table or what you eat also varies between regions and even countries,” Dr Zhang says.

For instance, she says, Yee Sang is a dish commonly found in South-East Asian countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

It consists of various vegetables sporting an array of colours that each represent different wishes.

Where did it all start?

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when and where these traditions originated from.

“Cultural customs and traditions are passed on generation by generation through word of mouth,” Dr Wang says.

She believes these practices have roots stemming from various sources such as history, religion, science and feng shui — an art relating to the harmony and flow of energy.

Customs and rituals may also vary between groups of people, depending on regions and dialects where words can hold different meanings.

Don’t call it superstition

Dr Wang advises against labelling these cultural customs as superstition.

“The word ‘superstition’ (mixin) is always coupled with the words ‘feudal thoughts’ (fengjian) in a Chinese expression known as ‘fengjian mixin,'” she says.

“The term is perceived negatively by the public where it was heavily attacked in a campaign during the Cultural Revolution in China back in the 1960s to 70s.”

Tingting Liu, who specialises in social and cultural anthropology at the University of Technology in Sydney, expands on this.

“In mainland China, we can see the co-existence of anti-superstition campaigns and the emergence of ritualistic practices to attract luck and the likes,” Dr Tingting says. 

Despite the past campaigns, Dr Tingting says those practices continue to exist until today and may be more robust in communities outside China because they were not affected by the revolution.

She describes current practices as a “compromise”, where some are retained while others may be simplified over generations. 

No different from horoscopes or tarot readings

Speaking from personal observation, Dr Tingting says, “For my generation, we believe in astrology signs and tarot readings.”

She says they are no different from the rituals and customs observed over the New Year because “they are all centred upon ourselves”.

“These belief systems help individuals to reduce the uncertainty in their lives,” Dr Tingting says, especially in the face of a tumultuous year with poor economic outlook.

The emergence of new generations has shifted the focus of cultural practices to be more individualistic, moving away from the Confucius roots which operates on a hierarchy that preferences male, says Dr Tingting.

“It’s less about the whole family or whole village or country now.”

A way to uphold cultural heritage

Dr Wang says whether these practices ring true or not is irrelevant.

“It exists if you believe in it — as part of a tradition or cultural heritage,” she says.

“People adhere to the rules because it shows respect for the tradition, including ancestors and their sayings, and demonstrates their reverences.”

Nostalgia is another aspect, she says.

For instance, following the way of life of a beloved deceased family member could be one way of honouring them.

Furthermore, she says “there is no harm in following the advice” and to an extent, they also “enrich the cultural experience of the new year”.

Dr Wang acknowledges that choosing to believe is a personal choice and practices should not be generalised as they can be unique to groups of people.

However, she believes continuing on traditions form “a collective identity and advocacy that conveys shared values”.