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Happy Chinese New Year! My office mate Browny lived in China for a few years and seems to think this makes her Chinese. Like when we have Chinese students who say they are from Dalian she exclaims ‘I’m from Dalian!!!’. And when she’s pissed off she curses in Chinese. I find it highly amusing. Anyway today Browny informs me that it’s Chinese New Year and there are all these gorgeous little rituals that we are doing to ensure that we have a prosperous and wealthy year. Here a few of my favourites so you can do them too!

* Open all doors and windows today. This brings good energy into your space.

* Don’t wash your hair. The Chinese word for hair is ’fa’ and it sounds the same as the Chinese word for prosperity. So if you wash your hair on Chinese New Year you wash away your prosperity for the year.

* Married people give unmarried people gifts, usually money, in a red envelope. Gifts are NOT to contain the number 4 as the Chinese word for 4 means death. Apparently Chinese people avoid having phone numbers with the number 4 in it as it’s bad luck. Although Browny told me that her brother-in-law selected the phone number ’141414′ which translates to mean ‘want-death-want-death-want-death’.

* You must eat good food and spoil yourself today. You should eat meat and sweets today as it sets you up for a wealthy and prosperous year.

* Wear brand new clothes and sweep your floors. Everything should be new and clean as you see in your new year. But make sure you put your broom away after you have swept. It’s bad luck to leave it out. (The lovely Sherry pointed out that sweeping should be done the day before so your house is lovely and clean. I promise to give more notice next year!) 

Have a wonderful and lucky day and hopefully it will carry you through the year!

 Love Lady Smaggle

xxx