For many people, moving to a new home means a beginning of the next phase in their lives. In China, some people take it extra seriously. There are many traditions to follow when it comes to moving. Here’s a list of 9 Chinese traditions when moving into a new home that die-hard believers will follow.
Choose An Auspicious Day
When Chinese people move to a new home, they first choose an auspicious day, or rather, they avoid unfavourable days to prevent disasters from occurring.
To choose a suitable moving date, people will always first check out the Yellow Calender (黄历, Huang li). Based on a complex system that combines Chinese astrology, solar terms, numerology and so on, this Chinese almanac tells fortune of each day and taboos for people to avoid in their daily lives.
If the moving day is a day that is incompatible with any family member’s according to the numerology, it is likely to bring disasters and illnesses to the home owners, which is a big no for moving day selection and must be avoided. It’s also not a good idea to move on the days of folklore taboos.
Burn Incense
The ritual of burning incense in a new home is meant to drive away evil spirits and to bless the household with peace.
It should be done on the day before moving. The practice goes like this: after lighting the incense, pick it up and walk slowing from the left side of the house to every room and space, come out of the right side of the house, then put out the incense outside of the new home.
Use New Pillow
In feng shui, moving homes is a transfer of people’s energy, so pillows need to be one step ahead which means a head start of the new life. People bring one pillow for each family member into the new house and place them in bed, then put coins underneath each pillow for good luck.
Get Up Early For Moving
The best time to move into the new house is early in the morning, preferably before noon. But people will make sure to move in before sunset, because it’s a bad omen which means to go out early and come home late for work.
Don’t Enter A New Home Empty-handed
On the moving day, when everyone walks into the new house for the first time, they shouldn’t enter empty-handed. They must hold something valuables or some daily necessities in their hands: things like a rice jar or a quilt to symbolize a stable life, or cash with a favorable amount to symbolize the fortune that follows people to a new home.
Worship The Door Gods
When all the items are moved into the new home, people will worship the door gods.
Two pictures of the door gods will be posted on both sides of the front door, then people will hold a small cup of rice wine with both hands and bow to the door gods three times, then flick the wine with their fingers onto the posters. This activity implies that the household respects the door gods and hopes the door gods will protect the family from evil spirits.
Housewarming
The Chinese, like the rest of the world, have a long tradition of housewarming. After moving to a new home, hosts will invite friends and family over to celebrate, the more the merrier! The hosts will cook a meal in the new home for the guests, informing the kitchen god that the family will be living there.
It is important that everyone at the housewarming stays away from fighting or cursing, otherwise it will bring bad luck to the owner.
Boil Water For Tea
When moving into a new home, people will to boil a kettle of water, which means the money is flowing like the water and things are going well. When the water is boiled, the owners will make tea.
Keep The Lights On For A Night
Chinese people believe that keeping all the lights on the first night at a new home will increase the yang energy and reduce the bad influence on the household.
The Master Bedroom is Key
One of the first steps in inviting positive energy into your new home is setting up the beds, which is associated with fortune and happiness. The key is to get the order right: sheet linens, quilt, then pillows.
The bedding has to be made with haste. To avoid complications, it’s a good idea to set up the bed bases or frames in advance. The sooner you can achieve order in your bed setting, the better your prospects.
The idea is to draw prosperity to your new home by introducing vitality. The Master Bedroom should always be done first.
