After a couple of rough years (we're not going to mention the C-word), we're all looking forward to some positivity in 2022.

If you're celebrating Chinese New Year or you just like joining in the festivities, you know that there are plenty of pantang larangs or taboos to adhere to to ensure that the coming year is brimming with all things positive.

We've compiled some of the more stranger ones below.

1# Don’t Wash Clothes

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Wash, hang, fold, ugh! We have no problems adhering to this taboo because we loathe doing the laundry anyway.

The reason behind this is that the first and second day of Chinese New Year coincides with the birthday of the water god.

Washing clothes is equivalent to disrespecting the god of water and we DO NOT want to do that. It will only lead to our wealth diminishing in the coming year.

2# Don’t Break Anything

Those with butterfingers beware! Stay away from all things breakable this CNY period as breaking something is extremely taboo.

It is believed that when a glass, vase, plate or anything else is broken, it will result in money loss or the family being broken in the future.

All is not lost if you accidentally break something though.

Just make sure you collect all the pieces, wrap them in red paper or cloth and dispose of them on the fifth day of CNY.

3# Don’t wash hair

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As gross as this taboo is – especially in hot, hot Malaysia – it is said that washing your hair equates to washing away your good luck.

Hair, which is pronounced as “fa” in Cantonese shares an identical pronunciation to wealth. The belief is that if you wash your hair, your luck literally goes down the drain.

This is also why many who celebrate CNY refrain from cutting their hair during the festive period. Cutting off your hair = cutting off your wealth. Now, who wants that, right?

4# Don’t Wake A Person Up On CNY Morning

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Calling someone by their name or waking a sleeping person on Chinese New Year morning is an absolute no-no.

It is believed that if the sleeping person is woken up on the first day of CNY, it will set a precedence for the person to be ordered around for the rest of the year.

Most mothers have however found a way around this little taboo by making noise around the house instead.

Closing and opening doors, moving furniture or increasing the volume of the tv or radio are all sly ways to get all the sleeping beauties out of bed. #DontPlayWithMalaysianMums

Credit: Ang

#5 No Killing

Errrr… we know what you’re thinking. Shouldn’t this rule apply all day, err-day and all your life?

Well, to explain a bit, this taboo is specifically concerning animals la.

Apparently, killing must be avoided from the 1st to the 15th day of the Lunar New Year because blood is considered a bad omen and could lead to misfortune.

Because of this taboo, those celebrating CNY usually reserve the slaughtering of animals i.e chickens, ducks, fish or pigs for either before or after the Chinese New Year period.

6# No Cerita Hantu


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Most Malaysians love a good ghost story but sharing that creepy encounter with a pontianak during Chinese New Year will only earn you a lot of scolding.

Ghosts and evil spirits are considered to be extremely unlucky and speaking about them could encourage bad things to happen in the year to come.

Some families go to the extent of avoiding any kind of horror or ghost movie during the entire lunar month.

7# Don't eat porridge

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This is another taboo we don't really have a huge problem with. (We're obviously not big porridge fans la).

Eating porridge during Chinese New Year is said to be a bad omen.

This is because porridge is considered "poor man's food" and if you start the year "poor", you're setting a horrible tone for what's to come.

8# No Napping

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All most of us want to do during the festivities is to feast to our heart's content and take a nice long afternoon nap afterwards (cause it's a holiday la kan!).

To the Chinese community, naps are a sign of laziness and should be avoided on CNY.

It is believed that if you nap on this auspicious day, you'll end up being lazy for the rest of the year.

So, keep them eyes open ya'll!

9# No Chopping Wood

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This taboo could be a bit less relevant in Malaysia but still, it's good to know.

During the CNY period, you should refrain from cutting or splitting firewood as the word for firewood in Chinese is chai, which sounds a lot like cai, which is the Chinese word for wealth.

According to the taboo, chopping firewood during this auspicious period is like chopping your wealth.

10# No Empty Rice Barrels

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Rice barrels symbolise the family's living conditions.

An empty rice barrel indicates days of not having proper food in the future.

So, during CNY, always make sure the barrel is filled to the brim to ensure that you will have a lot of food and good health in the year to come.

11# Avoid Being Robbed

We just cannot brain this taboo. Who in their right mind wants to be robbed la?

Of course, we're going to do our best to avoid being burgled but according to this taboo, you better be extra careful during Chinese New Year.

Why? Well, if someone manages to steal something from you, it could signify the start of bad financial luck for the rest of the year!

Ouch! A taboo that kicks someone when they're down!

Traditions and taboos galore

Other than the eleven above, there are many other more known taboos such as no sweeping or cleaning during CNY (you'll be sweeping out your luck), no scolding or using negative words (you're setting a negative tone for the year to come), no wearing black (it's an inauspicious colour), no borrowing money (it will lead to you suffering losses for the rest of the year) and many more.

Whether you strictly follow these traditions and taboos or you just do it because mum told you so, we hope that all goodness, positivity, prosperity and everything huat accompanies you in the year of the tiger!

If you want more CNY feels, do check out our Chinese New Year short film Ang. It's about a turbulent parent- child relationship and a magical red pen that grants wishes. It's quite a story!

Happy Chinese New Year, you guys!

(Main Image Credit: Sharon McCutcheon/Unsplash, Mallvibes.com/Projectpengyou.org)