Customs of the first day of the Lunar New Year

First Thing: Opening the Gate of Wealth

The first day of the Lunar New Year is an auspicious day, and people have to do a lot of auspicious things on this day. On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, people dress up and hold an important ceremony - opening the door of wealth. People prepare firewood and put it outside the door before the Spring Festival, and on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the head of the family will open the door and carry the firewood into the door, which means opening the door to bring in wealth (firewood), and then firecrackers will be set off.

The time for opening the door to wealth varies from region to region, some after zero hour and some before the sun rises, and people hope that the ceremony of opening the door to wealth will bring good luck for the new year, and also implies that the new year's wealth will come in abundantly.

The second thing: welcome the god of joy

"Ten miles of different townships, a hundred miles of different customs," in China, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, and the Yangtze River Basin and many other regions, in the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year, pay attention to welcome the god of joy. It is widely believed that at the beginning of the new year, the god of happiness will come, then after welcoming the god of happiness, the new year will be able to smooth sailing, happy events often come.

People on the first day of the new year, adults and children will go out of their homes, towards the direction of the god of happiness, some will bring a symbol of good luck doves, to the wilderness, people set up offerings to bow to the worship, and then to light firecrackers, pigeons, people have to shout a few times, like to sing people to sing, the scene is very lively.

If you see a hare or a bird in the process, it is considered a very auspicious event. On the way home, people will also pick up some firewood to take home, symbolizing the attraction of wealth.

The third thing: to pay homage to the New Year, collect the New Year's money

The custom of paying homage to the New Year has been around for a long time, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people have to freshen up and put on beautiful new clothes, and the younger generation in the family has to pay homage to their elders first, usually grandchildren pay homage to parents and grandparents, and nephews and children pay homage to uncles, and then there is the homage among the younger generation. When you pay your respects, you will first say a new year's greetings, and then say some blessings of good luck, good health, all the best, and so on.

The elders will take out their New Year's money and give it to the younger generation, and it is believed that if the younger generation receives the money, they will have a safe and smooth life. The custom of paying New Year's greetings also carries on the Chinese virtues of filial piety and respect for the old and love for the young. This is a very important event on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and makes the atmosphere of the New Year more festive and lively.

Fourth thing: Gathering wealth

The custom of not dumping garbage or dirty water on the first day of the Lunar New Year is popular, and is considered to be good luck and fortune. However, from New Year's Eve onwards, people have to set off firecrackers and eat all kinds of food, which will inevitably produce a lot of garbage. At this time, if you want to sweep it, it is also a good idea to sweep the garbage from the outside to the home as a symbol of wealth and treasure coming in the door, and then load the garbage up, but it must not be poured out.

At the same time, people will prepare a large bucket to contain dirty water, so that they do not have to pour out. It is believed that this will keep the family's wealth, good fortune and luck, and that the new year will be a good year for the family.

Fifth thing: Eat rice cakes, dumplings and soup dumplings

Food is the most important thing, and on important days, there are many culinary considerations, and on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people from all over the world eat the most New Year-flavored traditional food.