Chinese New Year Traditions (part 4) the 2nd to 15 Day

6th day...

Friends will able to visit each other, wishing one another a happy New Year. Nothing special you need to know. Take it from me; this day is just an excuse for having a party. After a hard working year, everyone deserves a good time.

7th day...

Happy birthday, everyone. According to Chinese New Year customs, the 7th day is everybody's birthday. To wish yourself a happy birthday there are two things you need to eat. First, you should go to a restaurant and order a dish of longevity noodle. By eating the noodle, people believe that you will live a long healthy life.

One thing about the noodle is that it has to be long and the string of noodle cannot be break into small sections. It's hard to find a restaurant that can do this, but if you do it will be a wonderful experience.

The second dish you need to eat is raw fish. As I have mentioned, fish is the symbol for "Plenty" and "Wealth." Eating fish translates to more money next year.

8th day...

Another family dinner to celebrate is the God of Heaven known as Tian Gong. However, everybody should be back to work by the 8th day. All government agencies and businesses will stop celebrating on the eighth day. Truly, there is nothing special on this day, except going back to work.

9th day...

This day is devoted to the Jade Emperor. According to the culture of China, the Jade Emperor is the king of heaven. He controls all 33 level of heaven. People will go to temple on this day. The temple will be crowded as on the first few days of New Year. People just want to pray for luck, money, and health.

Unmarried women will also go to the temple to pray for their love life. If you are single, hint, hint.

10th- 13th day...

The Jade Emperor's birthday is celebrated. Many families will use these days to eat with their married daughters before they go back to their husband's house. On the 13th day people will eat "Choi Sum (veggie)" to clean out their stomach due to consuming too much food over the last two weeks.

You may ask, what the story behind "Choi Sum?" Sorry, there is no story. It just helps people to avoid diarrhea (hehe). I got you excited for a second there, didn't I?

However, there is a history behind the 13th day. Trust me this time. This day is dedicated to the General Guan Yu, also known as the Chinese God of War.

Guan Yu was born in the Han dynasty and is considered to be the greatest general in Chinese history. He represents loyalty, strength, truth, and justice. According to history, he was tricked by the enemy and was beheaded.

Almost every organization and business in China will pray to Guan Yu. Yes, even gangsters. Before his life ended, Guan Yu won over one hundred battles and that is a goal that all businesses in China want to accomplish. In a way, people look at him as the God of Wealth or the God of Success.

14th and 15th days...

On the 14th, people will prepare for the Lantern Festival. People will start to build their lantern, and some will use this opportunity to show off. The following day, the 15th, celebrates Lantern Festival.

Thank you for reading and this is the last article on Chinese New Year customs. From where I am and wherever you are, have a warm night and "Gong Xi Fa Cai" everybody.

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