Fiery plumes douse the world in celebration as the Year of the Fire Horse finally arrives.
Lunar New Year comes in many forms and boasts various names: The Spring Festival in China, Tết in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea, to name a few. Lasting from Feb. 17 to March 3 this year, the widespread holiday brings people together in swaths of brightly colored cheer to herald new beginnings.
As the festivities commence, allow me to guide you through some of the superstitions and traditions you can practice at home.
Fashion
From the Korean hanbok to the Chinese hànfú, the clothes worn during Lunar New Year have very few restrictions. However, there is one rule: absolutely no full monochrome. Black and white are associated with mourning, making them completely inappropriate for new beginnings.
Instead, choose to wear bright colors. Red is commonly adorned for its folklore relations to good fortune and protection from evil spirits. This time around, however, the incoming fire horse naturally carries such prosperity. Adding red onto that can overwhelm spiritual energy, leading to conflict and scorching tempers. While you can still rock your rouge, it is best to balance out this crimson crusade with earth tones throughout the year.
If you still remain wary of such color combinations, you can simply choose to wear new clothes: now is the time to treat yourself. Fresh outfits symbolize a clean slate, allowing you to leave behind all the misfortunes of the past year. Just make sure you avoid new shoes. They are a linguistic homophone for evil in Chinese. Stick to anything above the ankle and you’ll be fine.
Customs
Lunar New Year does not play when it comes to customs. One of the most well known traditions is the gifting of red envelopes. Called hóngbāo in China and lì xì in Vietnam, elders typically distribute packaged money to younger individuals, wishing prosperity and passing on their blessings.
Aside from the constant emphasis on good fortune, Lunar New Year is a time for loved ones. Gatherings between family, friends and ancestors alike are held all around the world. People honor one another and those who came before them, typically through delicious reunion dinners.
What is a holiday without good food? As you swarm to the table, feast upon whole fish for their connections to surplus and abundance. Grab some dumplings to earn some wealth and prosperity. Serve yourself long noodles for longer life — just be careful not to break them! Regarding dessert, how about some citrus for good luck?
The cuisine surrounding Lunar New Year does not disappoint. China fosters harmony with plump rice balls filled with sweet paste called tāng yuán. Korea cooks up good fortune with savory tteokguk, rice cakes bathed in a clear beef broth. Vietnam expresses their gratitude with delicious bánh chưng wrapped up in banana leaves to hide their pork, mung bean and rice filling. While these dishes are not a requirement, I strongly recommend trying them with your loved ones this year; there is never a bad time to eat good food.
Taboos
Speaking of bad times, there are also a bunch of taboos to avoid during the festivities. Prosperity is a fickle thing — best be careful!
Avoid washing your hair on the first day of Lunar New Year or you’ll be washing your wealth away. On the topic of your mane, don’t cut your hair during the first lunar month. If you want to increase your wealth in 2026, you can’t cut yourself off before you even start.
You shouldn’t be a downer either. This superstition isn’t just for the sake of celebration — discussing negative topics brings bad luck and conflict into the following year. Keep your head up and stay positive. Your future will follow suit.
A bunch of household chores are also off the table. Washing your clothes on the first and second day of the new year equates to pouring your money away, as water is often a symbol for wealth. Don’t clean, sweep or take out the garbage on the first day, as that represents dumping out good luck from your home.
On that note, you should have cleaned your home before Lunar New Year. Cleaning means sweeping away bad luck, illnesses and negative energy, making space to invite incoming prosperity. If you missed this opportunity, well, there’s always next year.
Regardless of where you’re from, I hope you’ll spend this auspicious time with the people you love, eating yummy food and shopping for future success.
Xīn Nián Kuài Lè! Chúc mừng năm mới! Saehae bok mani badeuseyo! Happy New Year, everyone!
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