1. On the First day of New Year (February 9)
Start your activities on the hour of the dragon (between 7-9am) to bring good fortune for the whole family. Exchange red packets for wealth luck and be sure that you wish all your family members lots of luck. Young members of the family should show reverence tot elder folks and smile brightly and use sweet words when they greet them. Older folks in return should offer lucky blessings and unlucky money to the young ones.
Put on some new clothes to signify that you’re starting the year on a clean slate and to cast off last years stale energy. Wear new read underwear to enhance your Peach Blossom luck for the year. Year 2005 will be a year when there is an abundance of peach blossom luck, so romance is just around the air. Using raw cane sugar, red dates, sweet preserved winter melon, preserved longan, lo-hon fruit, dried chrysanthemum flowers and dried persimmons make a sweet tea for family, elders, loved ones and guests. This will ensure that every word that comes out from their mouths this year will be sweet and welcoming to the ears.
2. On the 2nd and 3rd day of the New Year (10th and 11th)
If there are days within the year to pay respects to the in-laws and relatives these are these days. Bring some sweet Mandarin oranges as offerings to wish them prosperity and good health. Do not utter harsh words within the two days. Be ready to smile to everyone to indicate a year filled with happiness and laughter. So no grumpies on these two days…force your sour face to be sweet (smiling exercise facial muscles anyway.)
3. On the 4th Day of the Year (February 12)
The most auspicious time to start work is the hour of the Horse (11am) Those in business should open your stores or office on this day and stay open for at least three hours to symbolize starting work. Don’t miss out on making offerings to the Kitchen God for abundance and good fortune. The more beautiful your offerings, the better your 2005 experiences will be. It would also be an excellent day to visit friends and colleagues to wish them well. Spend time with them to renew friendships and relationships. This is an auspicious day to socialize.
4. On the 15th Day of New Year (23 rd of February)
It is the night of the first Full Moon of the year, which marks the last day of the New Year celebration. This is an important day or music, laughter and merry making. Be sure to also jumpstart your Peach Blossom Luck during this day. It is the tradition for relatives/ villagers or crowd of friends to come together and loudly celebrate this night. This creates a lot of fresh Yang energy. Generating lots Yang energy on the start of the year will usher in more good fortune for them. Since the full moon evokes a certain romantic feeling, it is also known as the night of love (their version of Valentine’s Day) Singles are encouraged to socialize and find their future mates. To ask help from the Moon goddess in finding a suitable mate, Oranges are tossed into the river.
In a world filled with rituals and ceremonies, there is no harm in trying out these Chinese must-do rituals in trying out these Chinese must-do rituals in ensuring good luck this New Lunar Year. After all, the traditions survived for thousand of years, there must be a grain of truth in this pile of rituals. Kung Hei Fat Choy!
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