Chinese New Year Traditions: Customs, Energy Shifts, and the Year of the Snake

Hey guys welcome to the Learn Feng Shui podcast where you'll Learn Feng Shui from a classical point of view taking out the myth and Superstition so if you're interested in learning fun Chinese astrology all things Chinese metaphysics as well as the superstitions and myths that connect it all you'll enjoy learning funu with me hey guys welcome to the Learn Feng Shui podcast where ancient Traditions meet modern day life I'm Candice Berlanga certified funu practitioner and red RI and professional with the international Funway Guild today we're going to look at the customs of Chinese New Year we're also going to explore the subtle inic shifts that happen around the winter solstice the Lunar New Year and Lee chune known as the start of spring which officially bring in the year of the snake we're going to discuss how these transitions in Chinese metaphysics influence our life from the gradual shift of yen Yang which is a foundation of Chinese metaphysics you may not really be aware of when these energy shifts occur in the year and the energy in Chinese metaphysics doesn't just shift abruptly so next month we're going to enter into the year of the snake but it's kind of a gradual increase of this energy and it's kind of like a changing of the seasons right we don't feel it all at one time we don't just all of a sudden get a cold day it kind of shifts into a cold season well unless you live in Texas but the winter solce actually starts it off and marks the starting point of where the transition begins it's where the yin energy reaches its peak and the Yang Energy starts to stir it's this initial shift that will set the stage for the changes that follow and kind of slowly introduce the New Year's energies rather than just bringing them all in at once each phase from the winter solstice Sil newer and leun or the beginning of Spring each Builds on the last and it creates this smooth and natural kind of progression of flow into this energetic shift of the next year before we get into Chinese New yearor Traditions we're going to look at the energy shift and which ones start to shift around the winter solstice starting with the energy shift of the winter solstice which we passed around December 20th or so does Mark a significant energetic transition also in Chinese metaphysics and it kind of starts that energetic shift of into that new year into the new zodiac sign energy if you think about when 2020 started we started with that pandemic right there were very much markers in December so we were seeing already people that were diagnosed with the newly found Corona virus starting as early as December 2019 that's because it kind of does set the tone for some things that are going on in the year it's this peak of the yin energy like we talked about on the story of the Holly king and the oak King right the Yang begins to rise and take over and in systems like chiman dunja or taii sunu this does Mark this shift in what is called the yin Dune to the Yang Dune it's kind of like a focal point within the chart you're plotting for forecasting during this time also the yearly nobleman star will come into the picture so this is a nobleman star used for problem solving and sometimes he comes on uh my function my master likes to say either he reports for Duty or he doesn't and this year unfortunately he doesn't so but when he does it is the time that the Yang nobleman will take over this shift also sets a foundation for changes that will unfold as we move deeper into this seasonal cycle it also will begin to shift in things like the five tiger Shaw and some of those Heaven Shaws like the flying stars that we see in 2025 you know what we see for the year of the snake so it doesn't completely take over but we will start seeing those energies again just think of 2019s transitioned into 2020 and how those markers were already starting to appear and and show so uh we may see things like more extreme weather because that's what we saw in December during this time we'll see more of what we saw in the month of December around the solstice if that makes sense or after the solstice next we have the marker of Lunar New Year Of course celebrates the Chinese New Year and it's an entic shift that's tied to the moon cycle though this actually contrary to popular belief is not when the year of the snake begins this is not when the energy takes over that actually takes over at Lee tune or the start of spring the solstice is more of a transition in our emotions and the reflective energy since the it's this moon cycle encompasses the 15 days up to the first full moon of the year it's a huge get together with family and of course we'll talk about the Customs to that it usually occurs anywhere between January 21st and February 20th this year it occurs on January 29th so this does Mark the beginning of the lunar calendar cycle even though this doesn't Mark the beginning of the new zodiac cycle we will start seeing the influences of that new zodiac animal or the new tyo or Grand Duke for the year which is the zc sign that governs the year which this 2025 will be the snake next we have the energy of leune which officially brings in this energetic shift and it is when the Yang energy takes over and it does Mark the taking over of the Thai soy completely this is the point where the Earth Shaws and energies completely come in you have your taoy your Grand Duke your year Breakers your month Breakers all those no renovations sectors we talk about this is the official point in the year where those will shift and be set the solar cycle does signify action and forward movement and aligns with Nature's growth and renewal hence why it is the beginning of the new year it's a perfect time to fully embrace the year's energy and begin implementing your plans that are in harmony with these shifts that's why I always say wait till the uh beginning of this solar year to start making your plans and making those New Year's resolutions and setting your goals for the new year because spring is more aligned with growth and renewable as opposed to the middle of winter in January when most people are making their resolutions for the new year you know we're still in the season where we're supposed to be resting and sleeping to have a little bit better energy behind you wait until after the beginning of Spring according to the solar calendar that brings me to my next Point here with the energy that we're going to talk about next week with the funu energy for year of the snake if you're using flying stars you want to start making your adjustments in your home as soon as the solar new year begins so you're not going to want to uh try to place your cures and activations before that solar cycle begins on February 3rd uh during the Lunar New Year it's more about focusing on rituals and getting together with family and Performing those things like symbolic house cleanings to get rid of that old energy you're going to want to combine both practical and emotional alignments and adjustments for both the solar and lunar new year that way you're tapping into both the energetic and Earthly and human aspects of metaphysics to help you balance out and start your year off looking at traditions for the new year these also can start as early as the winter solstice so looking at the tongo Chinese Almanac from Master kco this is what I do my Pur Le funu um zodiac predictions this is based on his writing here I highly highly recommend this Almanac I'll link it and there is a digital version if you want lucky dates and stuff like that this is also in there but he starts out and he talks about preparing to welcome for the year of the wood snake we are of course past the winter solstice he says here that the winter solstice holds more significance than the new year was actually a saying that continues to be observed until this day for those who understand the meaning of welcoming the Chinese New Year it marks the beginning of the 20th solar term I believe he says the 11th but I think there's a typo there U because it's definitely not the 11th solar term which is the middle of the year he says it brings about the longest night and the shortest day which typically fall around December 21st and as late as the 22nd in December the traditional Chinese calendar sometimes called the farmers calendar is synchronized with the solar calendar which marks the 24 solar divisions such as equ ox and solstices of each year the practices that Mark the winter solstice as a new year actually started he says in the Han Dynasty and shifted to be observed to the second new moon of the new year what he's saying is that the Chinese New Year celebrations used to be celebrated on the winter solstice which I didn't know but here he talks about some traditions you can do also he talks about one Gathering the family for a meal in unity and Harmony uh eating dumplings for good fortunes and wealth steam sweet potatoes for warmth and nourishment make traditional red date tea ginger or ginsing to boost immunity end the meal with the glutenous or sticky rice ball for a smooth and successful year honor your ancestors with prayers to seek blessings lighting up your home for most of the night to drive away dark energies paying off your debts and starting a new account for a New Journey for the new year of visiting a religious site for offering thanks for the past year and doing a donation and stargazing to observe the Stars to connect with the cosmos in nature he also talks about the departing of the kitchen God which I kind of talked about before generally the kitchen God is not one that actually is a god of the kitchen I kind of aced it to a little bit like the elf on the shelf that we have he's supposed to kind of watch and report back and let you know if the household has has done well for the year offerings of food and incense are made to the kitchen God for his birthday offerings include sweet cakes or a New Year's cake on the 23rd day of the 12th lit month which marks his return to heaven to give his new year's report to the Jade Emperor uh this day a paper Effigy is smeared with honey to sweeten his words to the Emperor or to keep his lips stck together depending on how your family I suppose acted towards each other this year after this fig will be burnt or replaced by new one on New Year's Day firecrackers sometimes are lit as well to speed them on his way to heaven and if the household has a statue or name plate of Jia Jun it will be taken down and cleaned for this day on the new year and traditionally it was a day that the kitchens would turn their fires off and clean the stoves out or clean the Hearth out so that was done um so you can clean your oven out again these are usually done around the winter solstice time is but can still be observed moving into the Chinese New Year one of the biggest things they do is a reunion dinner a significant tradition observed by Chinese all over the world is a good tradition for everybody to follow it is a time to gather unite strengthen bonds and renew common objectives bury the hatchet forgive and forget and connect over this feast in many parts of the world it is a recall of family members near and far so those who may make the effort to go home will prepare months ahead for this journey and it will be deemed incomplete without the full attendance of all of their family this is the occasion for all to appreciate the past Year's blessings and good fortune wish each other well and help prepare to celebrate New Beginnings with hope and vigor a typical dinner would include a traditional Steamboat or hot pot for everybody to dip in which symbolizes togetherness but it may include the following for symbolism in Good Fortune fish for abundance and surplus dumplings for money and luck chicken or duck for Unity sweet potatoes for Good Fortune spring rolls representing wealth nuts and seed for Prosperity New Year's cake for family bonds and he didn't mention this but I've also heard noodles so you want to not let your noodles break during the Chinese New Year um dinner so you're supposed to eat really long noodles dinner goes late into the evening and sometimes accustomed to stay awake past midnight so that one may participate in yet another ritual which is called welcoming the god of wealth the excitement of the celebrations of the Chinese New Year would be incomplete without inviting the god of wealth to bless each household and ensure continuing prosperity for all through the years of traditions cultural practices and Heritage the god of wealth was personified as a God holding Golder ingots reigned with treasures and sometimes accompanied by an auspicious C harp which is a fish in practice the god of wealth is an energy force that aligns with stars to mankind therefore connecting man to the best of outcomes when observing this linear Direction given a specific day and time it is observed that on the eve of the Chinese New Year one must prepare to invite the god of wealth into their home to bring blessing for the year so on January 28th 2025 after your reunion dinner set up and clean a table and prepare the following he recommends fresh orchids peonies or lies oranges apples Chinese pears pmms and pineapples traditional sweets and New Year's cakes or any kind of cake a cup of tea or a cup of wine which sounds good to me a red packet or red envelope with some money in it and a sticker or picture of the god of wealth you can find those pretty easily online just by searching the god of wealth and he does have one depicted in his Tong shoe that I'm from one thing you can do is light up the house open the doors and windows and clean up if you can light some incense candles or jaw sticks half an hour past midnight into the morning the Chinese New Year on January 29th look North for the god of wealth Southeast for the god of happiness and Northeast to the god of nobility um they are represented by a bright star each make your wish say your prayers and be blessed and I know I have followed uh the function traster Joey Yap sometimes um some of him and his uh team will give dates for facing a specific Direction at a certain time a little bit more information on the Chinese New Year here in the Chinese calendar there's no bigger significance and importance than the Chinese New Year which is also known as the Spring Festival hence the name Lee chune for the start of that this is a day of immense joy and happiness for all who celebrate it around the world the immense influence embracing Traditional Values mythology symbolism Customs history and Heritage come together as one Chinese New Year marks a new beginning of renewal and birth giving everyone a chance for Fresh Starts The emphasis on Unity Family and virtues of the family bond is emphasized by the practices that hold it to this day there's no better moment to describe community and social connections than the Chinese New Year when it comes to celebrations forgiveness and the opportunity to turn things around for others and to make it even better marked in red decorations for good luck prosperity and Waring off evil red envelopes of money are given or exchanged for improvement and progress lions and Dragons dance with drums and symbols to raise the pulsating energies meant to keep away evil spirits and energize those who gather around them couplets of poetic greetings are hung to remind one of the pill pillars of righteousness and respect for the elderly as well as a love for Humanity everyone has a set of new clothings to discard the energies of the past year and for some a visit to the temple or Palace to worship reminds him or her of their gratitude and Promises to make good for oneself as well as others around them the celebration for Chinese New Year lasts 15 days it'll last from the new moon to the full Moon each assigned to a specific purpose and meaning these 15 days it'll wind down for serious work and business but not before we gather once more for a proper meal bitter goodbyes and get ready to take on a bright future that lies ahead of us this is known as family unity and Reconciliation uh to lift the spirits of people who are willing to make life better for themselves and this is marked also by the Lantern Festival uh the Day dates back to the Han Dynasty during which time Family Unity in reconciliation rank high to lift the spirits of people who are willing to try to make a better life for themselves the city illuminates with lanterns all night long to symbolize humankind's triumph over darkness and negativity with the first full moon of the Year hanging overhead this Festival is celebrated with lanterns of all shapes and colors and I know they use drones now because those lanterns can be a fire hazard sometimes they replace fireworks too uh families gather and recite poems listening to to music and children are free to roam the streets with their handheld lanterns one of the mus haves is a concention of Tang Yong or the glutenous rice balls to invite a full and complete year of blessing and good fortune for All In A fitting finale there will be streets filled with drums lion dances parade processions and the guessing of riddles and for singles a night to ignite their chances for romance single ladies will throw oranges or light up little lanterns or paper boats with their wishes rolled up in paper while the men take the opportunity to try to find a romantic encounter it's a joyous occasion for all all right guys well thanks for joining me today as we explored these fascinating shifts and energy that start occurring around the winter solstice and all the way to the solar New Year and how they play a role in Chinese metaphysics I really enjoy chering Master kingo's insights from the Chinese Almanac on the Lunar New Year's Customs so don't forget that is linked in the show notes and there's a digital version so it can be available to read immediately highly highly recommend uh be sure to tune in next week we're going to look at the Funway flying stars for the year of the snake and I'm going to break down what each star means where it's going to fall how it interacts with this energy and what adjustments and cures you need to make through your home or even office base and stay aligned throughout the year if you enjoyed today's episode don't forget to to subscribe to the podcast it really does help me out leave a review you know check out the blog and the website for more resources is at Learn Feng Shui l e a RN Fe n gsh h ui.com including uh the energy update and the yearly energy update will be up there also as a companion to next week's episode all right guys well thanks again uh and I'll talk to you guys next week for a free energy mapping of your floor plan please check the link in the show notes to support today's podcast going to learnfengshui.com sign up for emails leave a review and share with your family and friends