Yasuiqian (red envelope money) is a traditional Han Chinese New Year custom where elders give money in red envelopes to younger family members during the New Year countdown. Also called "pressing evil money," "evil" refers to inauspicious entities. This custom symbolizes the wish for a year free from misfortune. It is believed that yasuiqian wards off evil spirits, ensuring the recipient enjoys a peaceful year.Giving New Year's money also conveys elders' blessings for their juniors, now carrying meanings like "a small investment yielding great returns," "abundant wealth," and "steady advancement."
Does "celebrating the New Year" refer to New Year's Eve or the first day of the lunar new year?
Celebrating the New Year encompasses both New Year's Eve and the first day of the lunar new year.
"Celebrating the New Year" refers to observing the "New Year Festival," now known as the "Spring Festival."The Spring Festival celebrations center on ushering in the new year, paying respects to deities and ancestors, warding off evil spirits, and praying for blessings and a bountiful harvest. These festivities are rich in form, vibrant and joyous, steeped in the festive spirit of the New Year, and embody the essence of traditional Chinese culture. According to old customs, the period from the Little New Year on the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month until the Lantern Festival night on the 15th day of the first lunar month, or the 19th day of the first lunar month, is collectively known as "celebrating the New Year."
Thus, both New Year's Eve and the first day of the New Year are included within this period.
Why Eat Dumplings During the New Year?
1. Eating dumplings symbolizes "changing the year and welcoming the hour of Zi" ("子时" is the first hour of the night, pronounced similarly to "jiao" in "dumpling"). This signifies "celebrating reunion" and "auspiciousness and good fortune."
2. Dumplings resemble ingots, symbolizing the wish to attract wealth and treasures.
3. Dumplings have fillings, allowing people to wrap various auspicious and joyful items inside. Eating dumplings also embodies people's hopes for the coming year.
Why Do We Do a Deep Clean for the New Year?
A traditional custom for the New Year is "dusting out"—a thorough year-end cleaning. Before New Year's Eve, every household cleans their surroundings, tidies utensils, washes bedding and curtains, sweeps courtyards, dusts away grime and cobwebs, and clears both visible and hidden drains.Everywhere, there's a joyful atmosphere of cleaning up to welcome the New Year with a fresh start. Sweeping away the dust symbolizes getting rid of the old and ushering in the new, banishing bad luck.