[Taiwan Immigrants’ Global News Network] During the Chinese New Year, there have been many customs and taboos since ancient times, especially "Welcoming the God of Wealth" on the fourth day of the Chinese New Year, which is related to the whole year's wealth. Other than do not be stingy, share more, there are other customs and taboos you should be aware of.
Customs on the fourth day of the Chinese New Year
1. 接五路 Jie Wu Lu
Chinese shopkeepers usually open the market on the fifth day of the lunar new year, so they welcome the God of Wealth on the night of the fourth day. The ceremony started at three o'clock in the afternoon on the fourth day and ended at nine or ten o'clock in the evening. The folk custom of welcoming the God of Wealth is the spiritual sustenance of the Chinese people. Everyone is full of desire to get rich, hoping that the God of Wealth will bring wealth to their homes and make a fortune in this year.
2. Eat Zhe Luo “折羅”
Zhe Luo means "大雜燴" or hodgepodge, so the Chinese will add the leftover meals during the New Year's day to form a hodgepodge, and family members share the food together. The traditional custom of eating "Zhe Luo" embodies the people's spirit of diligence, thrift and hard work, and the virtues of diligence and thrift will also be passed down from generation to generation.
3. Welcoming to Kitchen God
The fourth day of the Chinese New Year is also the day when the "Kitchen God checks on household". Therefore, in ancient times, every household would stay at home, prepare abundant fruits for worship, burn incense and candles, and set off firecrackers to show their respect.
4. Taboos on the fourth day of the Chinese New Year
According to folklore experts, on the day of welcoming the God of Wealth, you should not be too stingy, but share more. You might as well put more sweet candies in the living room at home, and invite visiting relatives, friends and guests to eat and share the sweetness. And with generous sharing and good karma, in addition to helping your fortune in the New Year to be prosperous, the God of Wealth will also be close to you because of your generosity.