Harness your luck this Lunar New Year

As we usher in the Year of the Fire Horse—a year that promises to be fast-paced, energetic, transformative and driven by passion and ambition—many turn to time-honored superstitions to invite good fortune and keep misfortune at bay.

Here’s a guide to what you should and shouldn’t do this Lunar New Year.

Do

• Clean up. Let go of broken things. But make sure you do it before New Year’s Day.
• Get a haircut—but do it before New Year’s Day.
• Buy new clothes—especially new underwear. Wear it on Lunar New Year.
• Wear red. It’s a lucky color and it symbolizes happiness and vitality.
• Fill your rice bin on the eve of Lunar New Year for abundance in the coming year.
• Give ang pow to loved ones. Make sure there are 8s in the amount you give. Make sure it’s an even number and avoid the number four because in Chinese, it’s associated with death.
• Eat lucky food like fish, noodles, oranges and nian gao (tikoy).
• Prepare a basket of fruits for New Year—pomelo, oranges, pineapples, apples and dragonfruit—to welcome a fruitful year.

Don't 

• Do not sweep on New Year’sDay. This symbolizes sweeping away your luck.
• Avoid using brooms and vacuum cleaners, even automated ones.
• Do not wash away your luck either. Some people believe shampooing on New Year’s Day sends blessings down the drain.
• Avoid unlucky food. Skip porridge as this signifies poverty.
• Do not break anything.
• Do not cry on New Year’s Day. No fighting either. To have a happy year, avoid getting angry and getting into arguments during this festive period.