What do people do before CNY-Chinese New Year:
-Ta Sau Cu - A total cleaning up of the house. Not just mopping the floor, but the whole house must be cleaned from the ceiling to the wall, toilet, cupboard, wardrobe, everything must be cleaned. Some people even repainting the whole house or getting new furniture.
-Making or buying new year cakes. The love letter stick cracker, in my hometown, they call it kue rokok (kue means cake, rokok means cigarette, as it looks like one). Not forgetting the pineapple filling tart. Pineapple tart means 'Wang' bringing prosperous. One more traditional cake is kue bangkit, made from coconut.
-Other then preparing cakes, we chinese people like to add some sweets and some nuts to serve guests when they come.
-Everything we wear must be new on the new year, from underwear, clothes, shocks, shoes, even new hair style, not just new style, hair must be cut, if not it will bring bad luck. Everything new means good luck will come to us in a new year.
-I only learned this when I stayed in Singapore, it's to prepare 2 tangerines when visiting family or friends and exchange the tangerines, I have no ideas what this means, I just follow the crowds ha ha.
-Not forgetting, the 'HongPao' (red package) for the kids. And only married couple can give out hong pao to kids, singles can't give hong pao, because it will closed up their ying yan (faith), then they will never ever got married. I am not sure if this one is real, just heard from old saying.
-On new year's eve, the whole family will normally stay up until morning, it was said that if kids can stay up till morning, they will bring longevity to their parents. Normally people staying up until morning, because they will do praying ceremony to God at around midnight, and after that they will gather together having party or chatting like reunion.
-Speaking of reunion, I guess most of us who live in this busy life style can only do it once a year which is reunion dinner on the new year's eve night. As for me, staying in Singapore can hardly get together with parents, so we will go back to our hometown to have reunion dinner with family once a year.
-Some people love to wear red on new year, as it brings good luck. But recently I read something about feng sui saying different animal year's born people will have different luck. For example, if I was born in snake year, I have to wear something green in ox year, or else. So not only wearing red can bring good luck as almost all Chinese people's like colour the red. I guess this is how the feng sui master make money.
-Last but not least, people like to decorate their house with flower and other decoration like something has ox on it. Depends on what animal year is the new year.
These are all I know. I guess different people's bringing up background might be different, I will be glad if someone wants to add on something more here on the comments. You are really welcome to write.
Kong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nian Kui Lek.
Happy Chinese Niu Year 2009
Wishing everyone a Prosperous Niu Year, Happy and Good Health.
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