Etiquette Tip of the Month

Ten Ways to Celebrate the New Year - Chinese Style

Gung Hay Fat Choy!
(meaning Happy New Year and Happy Prosperity!)

Thursday, 22 January 2004, marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year of 4702, the year of the Monkey. Being of Chinese ancestry I am devoting this month’s message to sharing some fun tips to help you celebrate this global holiday.

Each year during this festive period I honor my heritage by doing my best to practice the ten rituals listed here. I hope you enjoy learning about these Asian traditions and consider celebrating Chinese New Year as I do. I believe you will find many of these ancient customs quite practical today.

The Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated by many Asian cultures. Most typically it is celebrated over a minimum three-day period to about fifteen days surrounding the first full moon of the year. Rituals begin the day before the full moon, the day of the full moon, and the day following the full moon.

Pay off all debts by the end of the year. Starting weeks and perhaps months ahead of time, save money in order to begin the New Year without debt and with something in the bank to pay for the celebration to come.
Clean your house from top to bottom before the New Year arrives. As a reward for your hard work, house cleaning is not allowed during the New Year holiday, to assure that you do not sweep away any good luck.
Decorate your home with special paper greetings, flowers, and fruits. Tie greeting cards and good luck symbols on a blooming tree you can purchase or make one yourself. By having or placing an abundance of fragrant flowers and fruits on the tree, the luckier the family will be in the New Year.
Wear new clothes on the first day of the New Year. Wearing new cloths help signify the beginning of a New Year clean and fresh.
Invite the entire family over on New Year’s Eve. Use this special time to renew your love for one another and share the transition between the old year and New Year.
Say Happy Birthday. Everyone becomes a year older with the New Year, no matter when your birthday actually occurs. Give children red “Lai See” envelopes with “good luck” money inside. This tradition is also used for many other festive occasions, in lieu of modern gift-giving practices.
Honor and remember ancestors. Display photos of deceased family members and loved ones. Over the New Year, create an altar with food and fruits and burning incense to fill your home with well-being.
Cook up a storm, enough for the three-day celebration. Include in your preparations all your favorite dishes, plus a few traditional New Year standards. Plan ahead because you should not “dig for” or run water during the first day in the New Year. This gives the earth and water a day of rest, too. Have fun dining at a Chinese restaurant. But be aware, your favorite places may be closed on New Years Day, as well as other establishments owned by celebrating Asians.
Visit family and friends. As the first day in the New Year is spent with your immediate family, the second day in the New Year is often spent inviting good friends and special guests over. The third day in the modern tradition is to celebrate with teachers and business associates.
Pay significant attention to your actions. Acknowledge the first time you perform everyday tasks in the New Year. Do not show anger at anyone during the first three days in the New Year. It is especially improper to tell a lie, raise your voice, use indecent language, or break anything on the first day of the New Year.

For additional information on this festive holiday, here are a few web sites for you to view:

Learn the history behind the Chinese zodiac and locate your animal year at www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html
Learn what festivities are happening in San Francisco, where the largest celebration occurs outside of China at www.chineseparade.com; and www.sfgate.com/traveler/events/cny
For traditional foods served during this holiday, see www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/China/traditional_foods.html.

Happy New Year and… Gung Hay Fat Choy!!

If you have any questions, email me at info@advancedetiquette.com. I’d enjoy hearing from you.

To view our past Etiquette Tips of the Month, please choose a topic below:

Party Tips Episode III: Prevention is Worth a Pound of Faux Pas
(Current Issue: July 2005)
Beach Etiquette (June 2005)
Flower Etiquette (May 2005)
Umbrella Etiquette (April 2005)
Spring Cleaning: Your Actions and Behaviors (March 2005)
Dos and Taboos at a Chinese Dining Table (February 2005)
Try My "ABW" Approach to Year-round Gift-giving (January 2005)
Gift-Giving and Receiving (December 2004)
Thanksgiving: A Perfect Time for Thank-You Notes (November 2004)
Cultural Awareness: Celebrating National Days (October 2004)
Thinking Rightly: Ethics and Etiquette (September 2004)
Shared Printer Courtesy (August 2004)
Party Planning ... The Key to Success! (July 2004)
Is it Marketing or Spam? (Current Issue - June 2004)
What to Wear? (May 2004)
Letter Writing Etiquette (April 2004)
Etiquette on the Road: Manners for Pedestrians & Drivers (March 2004)
Workplace Etiquette (February 2004)
Being a Perfect Party Guest (December 2003)
Be the Perfect Guest at a Family-Style Meal (November 2003)
Party Invitations (October 2003)
Theatre Goers Beware! (September 2003)
Being a Proper House Guest (August 2003)
Proper Introductions (July 2003)
The Lost Art of RSVP! (June 2003)
Toasting Practices for all occasions (May 2003)
Bathroom Etiquette (April 2003)
Shaking Hands: A critical factor in giving a good first impression...or not? (March 2003)
Telephone Etiquette (February 2003)

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