Ask a QuestionChinese Lunar New Year is the most important traditional festival for Chinese people, various customs have ingrained in people’s mind. As time goes by, the atmosphere of Spring Festival is not as festive as it used to be, because some old traditions are fading while new customs are appearing.
It’s a pity that there are lots of fading Chinese New Year traditions, which Chinese young generations don’t know. If you’re a cultural buff, you may be interested in the following 9 disappearing traditions of Chinese New Year.
It’s said that the Kitchen God gives an annual report to the Jade Emperor of heaven on December 23rd (lunar calendar), which is about what each family did for the whole year. Traditionally, Chinese people offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God with various sugar cakes, nuts, and some people will eat Tofu soup.
Meanwhile, people will stick a pair of couplets at each side of the portrait of the Kitchen God, hoping that the Kitchen God will report the good side and ignore their evil deeds, so that they could have a better life in the new year.
However, with more and more people building modern houses and moving to the cities, there are few people have kitchen stoves now. That’s the reason why this tradition is disappearing.
Maybe you’ve known the custom that Chinese people paste couplets for Chinese Lunar New Year. However, sticking paintings of the Door Gods is also a tradition, as with the couplets, wishing for good luck and happiness for the family. By this way, evil spirits will be driven away, because the Door Gods will guard the household and bring in good fortune.
Even though some people in rural areas still retain this tradition, few people stick paintings of the Door Gods. Instead, more people choose couplets and “Fu”(福) character, which means good luck and happiness.
Chinese people do specific things to get good fortune during Spring Festival. When it’s 12:00 AM on the first day of the new year, every household will open the doors and strives to be the first to set off firecrackers, so that they could be luckier in the next year. Chinese believe that the louder the noise is, the luckier you will be.
Due to the air pollution in the cities, this tradition is banned in most places. But people in rural areas still set off firecrackers for Spring Festival, not only on the first day.
In ancient Chinese culture, people will kowtow to the elders during Chinese Lunar New Year to show respect and express good wishes. This tradition is not only for children, because adults also need to kowtow to people who are elder than them. Nowadays, this tradition is fading.
Good luck will go away if you clean the house on New Year’s Day, or even the second day of Chinese New Year. Chinese people consider it a good way to keep the good fortune in making money.
Nowadays, modern Chinese people don’t care too much about this tradition. They will sweep the floor if they have guests, but some people won’t take out the trash on New Year’s Day.
Based on the folklore, the 3rd Day of the Spring Festival is an ominous day, which is called “Chi Gou Ri” in Chinese (Red Dog Day). Chinese people believe that it’s easy to cause quarrels and fights on this day, as a result, they choose to stay at home. But few people remember this tradition now.
According to what we’ve mentioned above, Chinese people offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God on December 23rd, when it’s the 4th day of Chinese New Year, it’s time to welcome the Kitchen God back from the heaven. Therefore, people set off firecrackers and offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God again to greet him.
Folk burn the portrait of the Kitchen God on December 23rd so that he can ascend to the heaven, thus, they will stick a new portrait on the 4th day of the Spring Festival.
On the 5th day of the Spring Festival, it’s time to worship the God of Wealth, or the Five Roads God. According to the Chinese legends, this day is the birthday of the God of Wealth, one could have good luck in making money by offering sacrifices like chicken, duck or other animals.
In the recent years, some Chinese in rural areas still keep this tradition in mind, they burn incense and offer fruits as sacrifices. But the custom is fading in the cities.
In Chinese legends, the God of Poor is short and thin, who likes to wear ragged clothes and eat porridge. Every time folk send him new clothes, he will wear the clothes after tearing them in rags and burning some holes.
On the 5th day of Chinese New Year, or the 6th day in some regions, Chinese people will send him away so that the poverty and hardship will go away. The easiest way is to dump the trash.
Nowadays, more people in the world celebrate Chinese New Year. After knowing the 9 disappearing traditions of Chinese New Year, it’s a good idea to plan a trip and experience some Chinese New Year traditions on your own. See our sample tours for some inspirations.
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