11 ways to welcome the Chinese New Year

MANILA, Philippines - Feng shui master Marge Santos suggested 11 ways to welcome the Year of the Rabbit this Wednesday night.

Her list was all about starting afresh and maintaining a positive attitude as expressed through new clothes, "dragon baths" and going to Chinese temples.

Santos respected other people's decision not to adhere to feng shui principles, and urged them to return the favor by not making fun of the ancient Chinese system.

Here are Santos's ways to hop into the Year of the Rabbit:

1. Do not use knives. Do not cook, chop, slice or cut in your homes. Eating out is strongly recommended. If you want to eat at home, just buy food from outside.

2. Do not use eating and serving implements. Buy finger food and eat with your hands.

3. Trim your hair and have your blood chemistry checked to coincide with the New Year. Blood is symbolic of sacrifice, and shedding blood is an act that equates to "paying forward" or "buying good luck."

4. Wear new clothes.

5. Don't get upset. Your mood tomorrow will dictate the tone of your year. Avoid swearing and yelling.

6. Avoid reading newspapers or watching news on television when the topic revolves around violence and anguish.

7. Get flowers, 8 pieces of oranges and 3 red envelopes with crisp, new P50-bills. Place all these on your dining table.



8. Bathe yourself with pomelo water and salt. This is also called a "dragon bath."

9. Wish everyone well. Avoid envy, jealousy and intrigues. No badmouthing, backstabbing and catty remarks, lest you harvest the same energies tenfold throughout the year.

10. Love, love, love, even the difficult people in your lives to likewise earn compassion and mercy from the heavens.

11. Go to a Chinese temple, light an incense stick and pray for blessings.

The Year of the Rabbit is set to begin on February 3, 2011. Those who belong in the said Chinese zodiac are those born in the following years: 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999.

'Lucky' food

For the Chinese, food plays an important role during Lunar New Year celebrations.

For one, it's widely believed that round fruits such as Clementine oranges (known locally as kiat kiat) bring wealth and prosperity to anyone who serves it on the dinner table on Chinese New Year's eve.

Pineapples are also said to be lucky as the fruits' "eyes" symbolize more business and career opportunities.

It's also common for the Chinese to serve whole fish, chicken and noodles during this occasion, as these represent fortune, happiness and long life, respectively.



When eating, chopsticks should not be rested vertically in rice, as these are reminiscent of incense sticks that the Chinese burn in veneration of the dead.

Serving an odd number of dishes is also highly discouraged as the Chinese believe that this symbolizes death.

source: abs-cbnnews