House cleaning and decoration

One important preparation for the New Year is house cleaning. People usually begin around the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month with preparations for the New Year. Everyone joins in housecleaning, which is symbolic of "sweeping out the old, welcoming in the new." Some families put away the knives and scissors. They don't want to risk "cutting their luck" in the coming year.

When the house is clean, the family begins to decorate it. They will post the best New Year's picture, called Nian Hua, at their homes. Spring couplets are also put up. Spring couplets are always hung in pairs. They are painted with brushes in black ink on large vertical banners of gold flecked red paper. These couplets, or short poems written in classical Chinese, are expressions of good wishes for the family in the coming year.

Many families often hang the sign "luck" character upside down on the doors or windows. Then the word means " luck has arrived". The single word "Fu" means luck, and is always painted on a diamond shaped piece of red paper.

The color red is also important to the New Year's celebrations, In addition to wearing red clothing, people would also decorate their home with all things red because it was believed that the legendary beast feared the color red. Therefore, home, stores, and restaurants would display red banners, lanterns, cushions, flowers, and red containers for serving food.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan