"Tong Tong Tong Chiang!" ♫

Chinese New Year (CNY) is round the corner and homes will be cleaned spick and span, red decorations hung up and placed all over the house, red packets packed and many more! Don't you just love Chinese New Year?

Also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival (春節;春节), this festive occasion marks the entrance to a new beginning, a new year and a new life for many people around the world. The first day of spring welcomes this special day with fully-bloom flowers, trees ever green and animals ever lively, marking a start to a new beginning. 

Before the start of CNY, it is important to spring clean homes because it signifies the "clearing of the old to welcome the new". You'll definitely feel fresh and a sense of accomplishment after all the cleaning and throwing away of old unwanted items. While CNY comes with abundant joy, prosperity and laughter, it also comes with many superstitions. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are to be put away and not seen or used on CNY. It is said that if one uses any of these items,  it will sweep away one's good luck and fortune! YIKES! 

Here are some other examples of superstitions observed during CNY:

• Children stay up late on NY's eve so that parents can enjoy longevity
• Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune
• Avoid eating Congee or Porridge on CNY or it will bring poverty
• No washing of anything (even hair!) else it washes away one's luck
• No uttering or writing of unlucky words like (death, funeral) or it will turn to reality
• Avoid wearing Black or White clothes as they are typically used for funerals
• Avoid taking medicine (unless necessary) or one may contract many illness that year

There are so many other superstitions but they are not listed here. In today's society, lesser families still observe such practices.

New Year's Eve is also a day where everyone in the family come together and feast on sumptuous dinner, known as Reunion Dinner, which is a symbol of unity and togetherness. Apart from the eating, it's also uncommon if any of your relatives come and ask questions that you would want to avoid like "Have you gotten any boyfriend yet?", "When are you getting married?" and "How was your exam results like?" just to name a few. I personally like to avoid the first one, *Laughs* 

All children and even single adults will definitely love CNY the most because they are the ones who will be collecting all the Red Packets! Unfortunately, the ones who suffer more financially are the ones who are married, because they have to give everyone younger than them a Red Packet - a significance of luck and prosperity. Good thing, we're still young, so let's collect as many Red Packets as we can before we can't do so anymore! *Sneaky giggling*

CNY is also the time where everyone will be donning new clothes and it is also the day where most people will be wearing Red. Red is a bold colour that is said to have petrified the Nian, a monster who caused chaos and fear in the people of the Peach Blossom Village. Since that victorious day, the Chinese used Red and fire-crackers to ward off evil and bad luck. 

Speaking of the Nian, do you know what Zodiac animal is associated with this year's CNY? That's right, it's Monkey! Not just any kind of Monkey but Fire Monkey. The Five Elements or Wu Xing (五行) in Chinese culture is important because it represents the different phases and cycles of life and energy.

Wood - Mu 木, Fire - Huo 火, Earth - Tu 土, Metal - Jin 金 and Water - Shui 水.

If you are into Feng Shui:

People born of the year of the Monkey are said to be clever, playful and one who loves practical jokes and pranks. These traits can be seen both positive and negative and if one knows how to manage the negative side of these traits, then that person will be successful in life.

Lucky colours for this year: Regardless of your zodiac sign, it's advisable to use Blue (or any other cool colours) because it associates with water that can neutralise the Fire of the Monkey this year so that there is a balance of the Strong and the Weak.

If you are into Food:

• PINEAPPLES! In Southern Chinese customs, Pineapple in Hokkien and Teochew is "Ong Lai" and "Wong Lai" in Cantonese which sounds like "Wealth Comes". That's why, people in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan serve Pineapple Cakes 凤梨酥 to guests while their Singaporean and Malaysian counterparts serve Pineapple Tarts 黄梨挞 instead.
• Nian Gao 粘糕 is a sticky sweet cake eaten during CNY. You can have them as it is or fried. I LOVE THE FRIED ONES! Nian Gao sounds exactly the same as 年高 which literally means "High Year" and consuming it is a symbolism of raising oneself taller in each coming year (年年高升)
• Fishes and Prawns are important during CNY and should be eaten because Fish in Mandarin is Yu 鱼 which sounds like Surplus, Yu 余. Prawns, on the other hand, is "Ha” in Cantonese. It is said that when you eat prawns, you will be blessed with abundant happiness and laughter from the sound you make when you laugh i.e. "Hahaha".
• Orange is "Gam" in Hokkien, Cantonese and Teochew which sounds like the Cantonese word for Gold 金, therefore, the chinese will offer a pair of oranges to the people they are visiting and wish them Da Ji Da Li 大吉大利 meaning, "abundant luck and wealth".

Common Greetings and Sayings for CNY:

• 新年快乐 Xin Nian Kuai Le: Happy New Year
• 恭喜发财 Gong Xi Fa Cai: Happiness and prosperity (use this when receiving the red packet)
• 心想事成 Xin Xiang Shi Cheng: May all your wishes and dreams come true.
• 吉祥如意 Ji Xiang Ru Yi: Good fortune according to your wishes
• 龙马精神 Long Ma Jing Shen: The spirit of the dragon and horse
• 身体健康 Shen Ti Jian Kang: Enjoy good health
• 步步高升 Bu Bu Gao Sheng: Promotions at every step
• 生意兴隆 Sheng Yi Xing Long: Prosperous business
• 学业进步 Xue Ye Jin Bu: Progress in studies

I hope you had an enjoyable read and when you meet someone who celebrates CNY, remember to use any of the greetings above, I'm sure they will feel blessed! Let's hope for the best for this coming year of the Monkey and may all Habbos be happy, lucky, prosperous and joyous the whole year round :)