Chinese New Year's Day:  February 3, 2025

DOs:

• Set off firecrackers, if safe to do so - this will scare away evil spirits.

• Offer sacrifices to ancestors - but probably better to just have a meal in their honor.

• Wear Red - a symbol of change and new beginnings.

• Hand out small red envelopes (called Hong Bao) with crisp new bank notes to promote prosperity.

• Clean your house BEFORE or AFTER New Years Day (but NOT the day of) to rid your house of the previous year's bad luck.

• Decorate your house with red and gold - these colors signify good fortune.

• Eat Dumplings (Jiao Zi - sounds like the ancient term for the exchange between the old and new year).  You will say good-bye to the old and welcome in  the new by eating yummy dumplings!

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DONT's

• Do NOT use curse words on Chinese New Year - brings much bad fortune.

• Do  NOT wash or cut your hair during these seven days or you will get rid of all your luck.

• Do NOT buy books or give them as gifts as the word in Chinese is similar to "lose" and will bring bad fortune.

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