Chinese New Year 2009

The Japanese word for "New Year's Greetings" is Kinga Shinnen.
2009 is the Year Heisei 21 in Japan. Heisei is the current emperor. Japan is the only country in the world which still number the calender years starting from the ascession of its emperors.

In one sentence, the Chinese New Year is the second New Moon after the winter solstice. 2009 is the Year of Ji Chou.

Y

ear of the Ox ^__^ begins on Jan. 26, 2009

The following is a list of beliefs that vary according to dialect groups / individuals.

Good luck
Opening windows and/or doors is considered to bring in the good luck of the new year.

Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.

Sweets are eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.

It is important to have the house completely clean from top to bottom before New Year's Day for good luck in the coming year. (however, as explained below, cleaning the house after New Year's Day is frowned upon)

Some believe that what happens on the first day of the new year reflects the rest of the year to come. Asians will often gamble at the beginning of the year, hoping to get luck and prosperity.

Wearing a new pair of slippers that is bought before the new year, because it means to step on the people who gossip about you.

The night before the new year, bathe yourself in pomelo leaves and some say that you will be healthy for the rest of the new year.

Bad luck

Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck amongst some Chinese. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese, or "evil" in Mandarin.

Getting a hair-cut in the first lunar month puts a curse on maternal uncles. Therefore, people get a hair-cut before the New Year's Eve.

Washing your hair is also considered to be washing away one's own luck (although modern hygienic concerns take precedence over this tradition)

Sweeping the floor is usually forbidden on the first day, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year.

Saying words like "finished" and "gone" is inauspicious on the New Year, so sometimes people would avoid these words by saying "I have eaten my meal so that it disappeared" rather than say "I have finished my meal."

Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious.

Buying books is bad luck because the word for "book" is a homonym to the word "lose".

Avoid clothes in black and white, as black is a symbol of bad luck, and white is a traditional Chinese funeral colour.

Foul language is inappropriate during the Chinese New Year.

Offering anything in fours, as the number four (四), pronounced sì, can sound like "death" in Chinese.