When will we celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2018? What are the taboos on New Year's Eve?

When will we celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2018? What are the taboos on New Year's Eve?
New Year's Eve is one of China's traditional festivals. On this day, people gather together to eat New Year's Eve dinner and celebrate the new year. So when will we celebrate New Year's Eve in 2018? The Chinese New Year is a very important festival in China. Fortune Teller.com has carefully prepared some relevant knowledge about the 2018 Chinese New Year and New Year’s Eve for you. Let’s take a sneak peek!

When will we celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2018?

2018 New Year's Eve time:
New calendar February 15, 2018;
Lunar calendar: December 30, 2017;
New Year's Eve refers to the last night of the lunar calendar each year, which is the eve of the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Because it often falls on the 29th or 30th day of the twelfth lunar month in the lunar calendar, it is also called New Year's Eve. It is one of the most important traditional festivals of the Han nationality. The Han people attach the most importance to it. Every household is busy cleaning the house to welcome their ancestors home to celebrate the New Year, and offer them rice cakes and three kinds of animals as sacrifices.
The last day of the year is called "Sui Chu" and the night of that day is called "New Year's Eve". On New Year’s Eve, people often stay up all night, which is called Shousui. "On New Year's Eve, not only should the house be cleaned inside and outside, but also door gods, spring couplets, New Year pictures and lanterns should be posted.

What are the taboos on New Year's Eve?

Do not say disrespectful words <br /> Many places also call New Year's Eve "Auspicious Night". On this night, adults and children alike must say auspicious words and are not allowed to say unlucky words, dirty words or disrespectful words, otherwise they will have bad luck for the whole year. When elders give younger generations more rice and dishes, if the younger generation is full and doesn’t want more, they cannot say “no” but “I have more”; if some tea and snacks are finished, they should say “I am very satisfied” or “There are too many” instead of directly saying “There is no more”... These auspicious words are people’s “New Year’s Eve homework”.
Don’t talk while eating dumplings <br /> At around 11pm, we started cooking dumplings. After the first pot of dumplings came out of the pot, they could not be eaten. As soon as the dumplings come out of the pot, the altar must be set up, just like on New Year’s Eve. At the same time, the eldest grandson of the eldest house took the whip, and the second son lit the fire, and they set off firecrackers outside the door of their own house. After the firecrackers are set off, the whole family comes in, kowtows to their elders in order of seniority, and then starts eating dumplings. You are not allowed to talk or put down your chopsticks while eating dumplings. Even if you have finished eating, you cannot just stand up and leave.
Avoid going to bed too early <br /> Staying up all night to welcome the new year is actually staying up all night on New Year's Eve to welcome the new year. "Shousui" means to guard the last day of the year.
Do not draw water <br /> There is a taboo of "not drawing water" during the Chinese New Year. Families with wells must "seal the well" before dusk on New Year's Eve, put a wooden cover on the well, offer cakes and burn incense to worship, and then open the cover and reuse it three days later.
Avoid dumping sewage and garbage <br /> It is said that if you dump sewage and garbage, litter, or urinate or defecate anywhere, the water will accidentally splash onto the gods, and if the gods are angry, they will bring disaster to people.
Lights are always on <br /> When you go to bed on New Year's Eve, you cannot turn off the lights. You can only turn off the lights when it's light on the first day of the new year. The lights on New Year’s Eve stay on all night long and are commonly known as “light years”. Regardless of whether you stay up all night or not, the lights in the house should not be turned off. They should be kept on all night long, implying a bright future in the coming year.
Avoid taking medicine <br /> For patients who are taking medicine, if possible, it is best to stop taking the medicine temporarily and throw away the dregs of the medicine boiled before the New Year. It is said that this will be beneficial to health in the coming year.
It is taboo to have people visiting during mealtime <br /> During formal mealtime, it is very taboo to have people disturbing you, especially visiting you, because this is called "stepping on the New Year's meal", which will disturb the whole family.
Can’t move the fish
On New Year’s Eve, the whole family eats the “family reunion dinner” together, which feels like a family reunion during the Chinese New Year. When eating the reunion dinner, the "fish" on the table cannot be moved, because the fish represents "wealth" and "abundance every year", and symbolizes "wealth and luck" in the coming year. It is a decoration and cannot be touched.
Avoid breaking objects <br /> There is also a custom of avoiding breaking objects on New Year's Eve. People believe that if you break bowls, plates, cups or dishes on this day, it means bad luck in the new year. Sometimes if cups or plates are accidentally broken on this day, the elders will quickly wrap them up in red paper and chant auspicious phrases such as “May you be safe every year” to remedy the situation. People believe that placing the fragments wrapped in red paper on the altar for a few days can avert possible disasters. Therefore, in order to have a good start on New Year's Eve, people will be careful with their words and actions in order to wish for an auspicious and prosperous year.

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