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Eve of Chinese New Year (4th February 2019)
All you need to do is to make sure that you completely clean your house once again on the early morning.
Starting from the hour of the Tiger (3am – 5am) or the hour of the Rabbit (5am – 7am).
You should light some incense to help cleanse the air as well as provide some offerings to your house gods, local gods and landlords.
Today is the last day that you can mop, sweep or clean your house for the following 3 days.
(as cleaning during the first 3 days of Chinese New Year is believed to remove good luck from the home).
You should keep all of your mops and brooms away in the cupboard before the hour of the Boar (9pm – 11pm) on CNY Eve.
Eve of Chinese New Year
On this day, it is customary for all members of your immediate family to share a good meal together.
There are a number of important dishes which should be served during this dinner.
•The most important would be a sticky rice dish. This symbolizes family members staying close to each other, enhancing family cohesiveness.
•There should also be a dish of long-life noodles. Eating this dish on the eve of New Year brings family members good health and a long life to the Patriarch.
•A prawn dish, which carries the meaning of ‘Ha Ha Siu’ – a life filled with laughter and joy.
•A chicken dish, which symbolizes prosperity and togetherness of the family.
•There should be a mixed vegetable dish with sweet corn (symbolizing growth). Lotus Seeds/ Lotus Roots (symbolizing a full wallet and many male offspring). Black Fungus Mushroom (Longevity). Golden Lily Buds (also known as ‘golden needles’ – symbolizing wealth). Cashew Nuts (the nut’s shape symbolizes a gold bar in ancient times, bringing wealth). Clams or Scallops (symbolizing the opening of new horizons) and White Cabbage (known as ‘Pak Choi’ – 100 types of prosperity luck)
•Also a Duck dish, such as roast duck or braised duck.
•A Fish dish, as this carries the meaning of abundance.
•At the end of the meal, there should be a sweet dessert served, so that at the end of every endeavour, there will be a sweet ending.
Eve of Chinese New Year (4th February 2019)
All the lights of your home should be switched on before sundown and all windows kept open.
After the Reunion dinner, it is important the family spends time together. United until at least 1 hour past the stroke of midnight.
Younger members of the family should greet their elders with auspicious greetings so as to greet in the luck of the New Year.
Firecrackers are traditionally set off at this time to welcome in the New Year.
With as much noise as possible to scare away any bad luck, and to create plenty of prosperity chi.
Prayers to either the God of Wealth, the God of Happiness or the God of Mentors should be performed.
After the prayers are done, the Good Fortune Lock Amulet should be placed underneath the pillows of every member of the family to ensure that the family prospers together.
