Chinese New Year’s is right around the corner, and there are some things you might want to know before you start chilling the champagne again.

Chinese New Year’s celebration is the longest festival of the year, lasting until the Lantern Festival begins on the 15th day of the following month. The New Year’s festival commemorates one’s ancestors, and the first night is a time to gather with friends and family to share a meal consisting of chicken and pork, as well as fish. The fish is never finished that night since it is considered good luck to have fish left over into the new year.

The other thing you might want to be aware of for the Chinese New Year is that you’re supposed to clean your house! You do this in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. But don’t sweep on New Year’s Day itself because you could sweep away all your good luck for the year. Decorate your doors and windows with red color paper-cuts, a type of Chinese scherenschnitte, and couplets, or words with relationships with themes of “good fortune” or “happiness”, “wealth”, and “longevity.” Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving monetary gifts in red paper envelopes.
Mary Szakmeister