“恭禧發財!”
“恭禧發財!”
“恭禧發財!”
Everywhere I go, I hear those same words — Gōng xǐ fā cái– wishing everyone a good and prosperous upcoming year. The Lunar New Year day starts on a different day every year because it is based on a calendar whose months are coordinated by the moon cycles, rather than on the Gregorian calendar.
For years, my family tried to celebrate Lunar New Year as traditionally as we could, given the cultural and geographical difference. My mother began preparing a couple days before the official celebration. She took out her calligraphy pen and ink, and started to write auspicious phrases and words on red paper. Soon, these paper cuts began appearing on various windows, doors, and walls around the house. My home became more decorated as paper cuts were accompanied by lucky knots, with each shape having its own symbolic meaning. Little trinkets and pasted papers added color to the closing of the year, but it didn’t stop there.
Before the house could become filled with the scent of shuǐ jiǎo (水餃) , or dumplings, we had to prepare them along with other foods. My brother and I would spend hours sitting around the table running through the same procedure: dabbing, scooping, folding, and repeat. Our end result was a tray of dumplings, lined up in perfect rows. We also spent more time together making tangyuan, or rice dumplings. Eventually, these would be cooked in a pot of boiling water, and served as our New Years’ dinner.
It is believed that certain activities will affect an individual’s luck for the upcoming year. Although my family didn’t practice all of the following, some of the customs were:
-
No crying (It brings bad luck)
-
No black or white clothes (These are unlucky colors)
-
No hospital visits (It encourages illness)
-
Don’t wash your hair (It washes the luck away)
-
Don’t sweep the floor (It sweeps away wealth)
-
No lending or borrowing money (It leads to debt)
Of course, that didn’t mean that people necessarily had dirty, greasy hair, they would just have to plan their showers accordingly.
However, it was my first Lunar New Year away from home, so I could not celebrate it the same way, with the same people. I called my family to wish them “新年快樂”, or “Happy New Year” and, thankfully, one my friends hosted and organized a Lunar New Year evening celebration with a huge group of friends. Going out for dinner and then watching a Chinese movie in Fayerweather was a pleasant, Amherst-style way to commemorate a fresh start. And in doing so, I recognized and appreciated the essence of Lunar New Year — celebrate the previous year’s worth of hard work, enjoy the company of friends and family, and ensure that a good start to the year will lead to a lucky year.
May the Year of the Horse bring you good luck, success, and prosperity!
***