Chinese New Year Traditions.

This website uses 'cookies' to give you the best, most relevant experience. Using this website means you're happy with this.
You can find out more about the cookies used by clicking this link (for legal information).
Flags.

Disclaimer.

NEW YEAR.

April 2026
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30

Chinese New Year 2

Year 2026 will be the "Year of the Horse beginning on February 17th.

It is Year 4723 by the Chinese calendar

Lap Bak

Another tradition called "Lap Bak". (Cold Eighth) which is the eighth day of the lunar month (Chinese New Year).
Dried lotus seeds, red beans, nuts, and dried dates, are made into a hot rice soup.
The tradition comes from the Buddhist faith.
It is said to purify the body to enable a good start to the New Year.

Red Couplets

Red Couplets are Chinese sayings written on red paper. Normally with four gold coloured Chinese characters.
Which mean a wish for a long life, wealth, and happiness.
If you have already read the tale of Nian the New Year Monster.
Then you will also know that the colour red like the firecrackers will keep him away.
Chinese people usually place these on doors, or walls, but you will find them in many different places.
Although they are associated with the New Year, they can be seen in some Chinese homes all year round.
Red in China, is regarded as a very lucky colour.
In China this is the most popular luck symbol.
if used by westerners it should be placed above the door.
However, it should be hung upside down as to allow the luck to flow into your home.

Door Gods

Chinese New Year door Gods. These are placed at entrances to Chinese homes.
They are placed there to protect the occupants.
This is a tradition, but at that time was indeed a belief.
It dates back to the Tang Dynasty in year 618-907 AD when the emperor Taizong became very ill.
He dreamt that ghosts had come to take him away, and this scared the emperor, which in turn made it difficult for him to sleep.
His loyal generals heard of his plight, (YuchiGong and QinQiong), and decided to protect him by standing outside his bedroom door.

This helped for a while, but then the emperor became concerned for his generals. So he decreed that paintings should be made of his generals.
These paintings were to be hung or placed outside the door, thus relieving the generals of such a hazardous task.
When his loyal subjects heard about this, they too placed paintings outside their doors.
These were commonly know as "Door Gods", and the tradition continues to this very day.

Fortune Sticks

Fortune Sticks are used as a method of fortune telling. (Kau Chime), which involves a set of 78 numbered sticks in a bamboo case.
It is held with two hands and shaken until one of the sticks falls out.
At that time, it is cross referenced with ancient text.
The fortune is then given as a poem, or a rhyme, which gives a subtle hint of the persons possible future.
It is just regarded as hint, unlike westerners who will believe that the future can be made clear and concise.
it allows a simple guide in which they can determine how to live more wisely.
Thus giving the surroundings of conditional influences that affect their lives.

Kitchen Gods

Images of kitchen Gods are burnt on the 24th of December. Then the Kitchen God returns to heaven.
At that time they will give their report about the Chinese family to the ruler of heaven, (The Jade Emperor).
The image of the Kitchen God has its lips painted with honey, or sugar.
This is in order that the words it will use will be only sweet words then it is burnt.
The Kitchen God is removed from the shrine during this period, and carefully cleaned.
Then it is replaced on the New Years eve.

Flowers

Flower fairs appear around Chinese cities on the 26th day of the last moon. its a very popular tradition to stroll through these fairs whilst waiting for the New Year to come.
The flowers are used as a symbolic activity, in which they have a play on words, for instance the Kumquat Tree is called the 'Gam Gat Sue'
These rhythm with associated words in Chinese such as Gam which rhythms with Gold, and Gat which rhythms with 'Luck'.
Whilst the significance of the small green leaves of this plant is the word Luk (Green) which rhythms with the word wealth.
The oranges take on the shape which are a symbol of perfection, and unity.

Other flowers are said to signify life, growth, and prosperity. Some flowers that are associated with Chinese New Year are the...

(1) Peach Blossom, which signifies long life, and a defence against the strongest of evils. they are placed above front doors of Chinese homes.
If you have a Peach Blossom bloom during the celebrations, it is said to bring you good fortune in the year ahead.
They are used more often inside the house for decorations.
(2) Peony, the flower of riches and honour, also a symbol of feminine beauty, being bright red offers the beholder luck and good fortune.

CHINA BIRDS.