5 Chinese New Year Customs That Aren't As Common Anymore & Why
I'm still unlucky regardless of whether I actually do these things.
By Celine Low — 17 Jan 2024, 04:50 PM
1. Stay up late for our parents' sake
There's this tradition among the Chinese that you should stay up to welcome the new Lunar New Year.
It comes from this phrase "守岁" (shŏu suì). When translated to English, 守 means "to watch", while 岁 means "year" or "age". The belief is that the later you stay awake, the longer your parents will live.
Nowadays, people simply stay up if they want to, and not solely for their parents' sake. But it's not as if you can go to bed early on the eve of the New Year anyway. Not with those firecrackers. :p
2. Abstain from washing your hair on the first day of Chinese New Year
Growing up, you've probably been told to leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year.
That means no shampooing or cutting it off. If your hair's itchy or oily, you would have to tough it out at least until after the first day.In Mandarin, 'hair' is 发 (fǎ), which sounds like 'get rich' (发财/fācái). It's considered a taboo to wash your hair during the New Year, as it's believed that you would risk washing away the accumulated wealth and good fortune.
However, this practice is becoming less common among the younger generation who aren't superstitious. Besides, spending the New Year with an itchy scalp sounds like a total nightmare.
3. Avoiding meat on the first day of Chinese New Year
For many Chinese individuals, especially those following Buddhist or Taoist traditions, abstaining from meat is aligned with religious beliefs.
Many believers follow a vegetarian diet, especially on the first day of Chinese New Year out of respect for the Buddhist gods who are believed to be against the killing of animals.
But this practice is most common among the older generations. Some aren't too strict about this tradition these days, as some parents don't expect their children or grandchildren to follow them.
4. Throwing Mandarin oranges into the river on the 15th day
The practice of tossing oranges into rivers, lakes, or seas on the 15th day of Chinese New Year is rooted in the belief that the act will usher in good fortune for the thrower, as the fruit is believed to symbolise wealth and prosperity.
The 15th day is also known as Chap Goh Mei, or Chinese Valentine's Day. On this night, unmarried ladies would throw oranges with their personal details scribbled on it into lakes and rivers, in hopes that a potential partner would scoop them up and make contact.
But this custom isn't too popular these days because well, one thing, water pollution, but also it would probably have been more effective during a time with no social media. With modern dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, it is now easier (just slightly) to meet and find potential partners.
5. Flying lanterns on the 15th day of Chinese New Year
People typically write personal messages and wishes on the lanterns, and by releasing them, the lanterns were said to carry the writer's hopes and dreams, letting them soar into the night sky,
In some Chinese communities, the flying lantern tradition is also a way to pay homage to ancestors. It is believed that the lanterns act as a bridge between our world and the spiritual world, carrying well-wishes and prayers to departed loved ones.
As beautiful and picturesque as they are, these sky lanterns are undoubtedly a fire hazard. Even if the lanterns work correctly and drift back to land once their flame has been extinguished, they still cause huge amounts of environmental litter and pollution.
