Chinese New Year Traditions (part 4) the 2nd to 15 Day
From this point on of the Chinese New Year traditions, I can't think of any tradition that could prevent you from having fun. Now I will tell you what each day is about. In modern day China, even young people do not know what happens after the first day of the New Year.
Not to mention, I have talked to my all my Chinese and Taiwanese friends and they pretty much couldn't care less about the days after the 1st of the New Year. All they care about is spending time with their family and food.
After having all this information, I can only drawn one conclusion and that is that you do not need to read this article. I wrote this article for people who like to build up their knowledge. So if you do not have time or do not like to read, you can skip this section at ease.
Also, a little side note. The 2nd and 3rd day are sometimes interchangeable, depending on which the region of China. So if you read that the days have a different order elsewhere, please be aware that nobody is wrong. The information depends on where that person lives.
I will write in the common order that everyone is used to. Also, this article will not have a summary section, because each day is pretty straightforward.
2nd day...
On this day, the daughter who is already married is able to come home and visit her family. Traditionally, the married daughter is rarely able to come home to visit her own parents. This is a good chance for the daughter to do so.
Sometimes the wife will not go home on this day, since she may want to stay and help the in-laws. So, most wives will go back on the 3rd day. (This could explain why the 2nd and 3rd days are interchangeable)
Also on this day, people will be extra nice to the dogs by not eating them (I'm just joking). People believe that this is the dog's birthday.
3rd day 4th day...
This day is dedicated to the ancestors. Families will go out to family tombs and temples to show their respect. Each person will take a turn and put incense in front of the tombs. Also, you will see some families burning paper money as well.
5th day...
The 5th day is also known as the Po Woo. After the Kitchen God reports the family deeds to the Jade Emperor, he will go back to the family. The Kitchen God sometimes goes by the name of God of Stove or God of Fortune.
The family will welcome the Kitchen God with a few sweet dishes, fruit, and wine. One thing that many people, including myself, like to do is to touch the Kitchen God's belly for luck. Come on, blackjack.
In Chinese New Year customs, friends should not visit each other because it will bring bad luck to both families. Why? Sorry, I do not know, just something that everybody follows.
After 4 days of holiday, many businesses will be open on the 5th day. Dragon and lion dances will be performed in front of the businesses for luck. To me, people pray not just for the Kitchen God but for the "Shopping" god as well.
If you like shopping, this day could be a good day to do so. Why? I've got an answer for this one. Many stores will give out red packets for the first few customers who walk into the store. Stores will also have special deals. It is equivalent to the "Black Friday" in America, but a little bit more expensive.
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