According to Chinese astrology, people in their zodiac year are believed to offend the God of Age(Tai Sui) and incur his curse of bad luck. However, there are ways to avoid bad luck.
For instance, if you’re born in the year of the Rooster, red underwear is a must for 2017! Red is believed to ward off bad luck and misfortune. But there’s a catch. It has to be given to you or bought for you. You can’t buy it for yourself!
Aside from red underwear, here are the things you can do to bring in good fortune this 2017 Year of the Fire Rooster:
Prepare a Tray of Togetherness
A Tray of Togetherness is typically filled with candies, seeds, and nuts. It is a platter with varieties of dried fruits, nuts and other bite-sized treats. Each item conveys fortunes such as prosperity, longevity, unity, happiness, sincerity, wealth, among others. The notion is that offering guests with these treats blesses them in the year ahead.
Give Red Envelopes (Hóng Bāo)
In accordance with Chinese beliefs, the red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits. The amount of money in the envelope usually ends with an even digit.
Display and eat of good fortune fruits
Good fortune foods like tangerines, oranges, and pomelos should be eaten during Chinese New Year. These fruits symbolize wealth and prosperity, due to their round shape and golden color. Eating tangerines and oranges are believed to bring good luck, while pomelos bring continuous prosperity.
Eat lucky foods
Fish is a must. The Chinese word for fish (鱼/Yú /yoo/) sounds similar to the word “surplus.” It is believed that eating fish brings a surplus of money and good luck in the year ahead. Other lucky foods include: sweet rice balls or ‘tikoy’ for family togetherness, glutinous rice cakes for higher income or position, dumplings and spring rolls for wealth.
Wear jade accessories
Wearing accessories like pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets made of jade during your zodiac year can ward off bad luck.
Replenish your pantry
The Chinese believe that abundance at Chinese New Year will carry forward to the coming year so be sure to replenish all condiments, and fill up your rice bins.
Clean your home top to bottom
Remember that there’s no cleaning allowed on New Year’s Day as it is believed to sweep away good fortune. So go ahead, get rid of all the bad luck from the previous year before New Year.
Get your mind and body ready for the new year
Got into a misunderstanding? Make peace. It is important to clear your mind in the year ahead. Financial affairs are not an exception. Make sure to pay all of your debts. Treat yourself – get a fresh haircut, buy a new set of clothes and fill yourself with positivity.
Believe it or not, following these Chinese New Year traditions and practices wouldn’t hurt. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to each and every one’s life challenges. It’s all about balancing of energies, and it is more important to have a positive outlook in the year ahead.
