Being a half Asian (Taiwanese) and Caucasian (European) South African means getting to celebrate both New Years Eve and Chinese New Year. Every year on the last day of December I get to make lovely goals for myself and party in the New Year of the Western (Gregorian) calendar. Western NYE is all about good vibes and big intentions. Which usually means I end up with a pretty phenomenal hangover and a promise to be much healthier every year that I end up breaking by the end of that week. But that’s okay because come the first new moon of the year, the Lunar New Year (aka: Chinese New Year) kicks in and I get to reset. 2021 v2 here I come!
I love introducing friends to CNY traditions and practice a few myself every year because whether or not you’re Chinese you can also gain something positive from it (without appropriating it, that is). Here are 5 ways to join in on the good vibes:
1 Hit Pause
CNY is about resting and relaxing at home as opposed to partying and going on holiday. Once all the glitz and glamour of a new year has settled down, work is well under way, and you’re maybe feeling a bit unsure of the year ahead or underwhelmed, the first new moon on the year invites us to pause. In China the holiday is celebrated for 15 days, with many people taking up to 7 days off work. While we can’t all do that of course, you can dedicate 7-15 days to focus on and prioritize resetting and renewing your energy.
2 Second Time’s a Charm
This time is a fantastic second chance in the year to realign ourselves and get back on track with what really matters. According to the Chinese zodiac 2021 is the year of the Ox. This astrological animal is known for it’s focused energy and is success-orientated. Whether or not you believe in the Chinese (or any) zodiac you can still use this as inspiration to re-center your goals and re-evaluate your priorities. It’s a great opportunity to find out what goals no longer align with who you are or what you want, and write up new ones that do. Once you’ve done that, go ahead:
3 Get Lucky
Red is a symbolic colour for good luck and is believed to scare away bad fortune. Gold is also featured in decorations and worn to attract wealth (and a favourite colour of mine) (I know it’s not a colour per se but let me have it). Whether or not you believe in superstitions, wearing it and adding some to your decor definitely can’t hurt I rate. 😉 Tsek bad vibes.
4 Out With The Old
De-cluttering and cleaning out your home before the New Year arrives is symbolic of making space for good energy and new things. There are many ways of doing this though that don’t include scrubbing (although this is definitely therapeutic as well). Why not use this opportunity to evaluate the clutter in your life that takes the form of people who drain your energy, situations that are holding you back, patterns of thought or habits that are no longer serving, and limiting, you? CNY is all about attracting prosperity and good fortune but to do that you need to do the prep work of preparing for something better, and letting go of the old. Say it with me:
5 Share The Lurvvv ❤
The focus on CNY differs greatly from the party-centric theme of Western NYE celebrations. It’s less about a big circle of friends or being social and more about family (which can include the friends that are your chosen fam). This is done by sharing meals, red envelopes of money and wishes for prosperity and good fortune. Use the 15 days this holiday lasts to share the love to the people who mean the most. If you’re in the position why not take it further and help out a charity in your community. I recommend The Night Haven Shelter, Philisa Abafazi and The Big Issue.
Guo nian hao y’all!!! ✨✨
Feature image via Pinterest: Dana Martin Illustration
Comments