Year of the Metal Dog

Reunion Dinner on Friday 2nd February

Chinese New Year’s Eve reunion dinner (年夜饭 / 團年飯) is one of the most important traditions in Chinese culture. Its importance comes from several layers of meaning:

1. Family unity and togetherness  
   - It’s the most important family gathering of the year—similar in significance to Thanksgiving dinner in the US or Christmas dinner in many Western countries.  
   - People travel long distances (the Spring Festival travel rush 春运) just to be home for this meal. Being present at the table shows belonging and commitment to the family.

2. Honoring ancestors and family roots  
   - Many families offer incense, food, or prayers to ancestors before the meal.  
   - This shows respect to previous generations and reinforces the idea that the family is a continuous line, not just the people currently alive.

3. Wishes for prosperity, health, and good fortune  
   - The dishes are symbolic, chosen for their meanings:
     - Fish (鱼 yú) – sounds like surplus (余): wishing for abundance.  
     - Dumplings (饺子) – resemble ancient ingots: symbolizing wealth.  
     - Nian gao (年糕) – sounds like year higher: wishing for progress and promotion.  
     - Longevity noodles – wishing for long life.  
   - Eating these foods together is like a shared, ritual way of sending blessings into the new year.

4. Reinforcing family roles and bonds  
   - Elders sit in honored seats and often give red envelopes (红包) with money to children and younger relatives.  
   - This passes down not just money, but also blessings and expectations, showing care and responsibility across generations.

5. Closure of the old year and welcoming the new  
   - The meal marks the transition point between the old year’s difficulties and the new year’s hopes.  
   - People often avoid arguments and negative talk at the table, believing it may affect the luck of the coming year.

6. Cultural continuity and identity  
   - For Chinese people in China and the diaspora, the reunion dinner is a strong link to cultural heritage.  
   - Even if other traditions fade, families often still keep this one, because it’s simple, emotional, and deeply meaningful.

7. Emotional comfort and belonging  
   - Beyond symbolism, it’s a moment of warmth: familiar dishes, family jokes, shared memories.  
   - For many, it’s the one time a year when everyone slows down and truly reconnects.

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CHINESE NEW YEAR 2030
3RD FEBRUARY 2030 TO 17TH FEBRUARY 2030

Chinese New Year in 2030 falls on a Sunday, February 3, 2030.

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When to open for business or start work?

On any of these days:-

Tuesday, 4th February (10th Lunar day)**
Wednesday, 6th February (4th Lunar day)
Friday, 8th February (6th Lunar day)
Tuesday, 10th February (8th Lunar day)
Thursday, 12th February (10th Lunar day)
[14th February = Valentine's Day]
 

**Note: Officially Tuesday, February 4th is one of the two days of Public Holiday which is a rest day for most people.

 

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Geomancy.net will close on February 2nd at 12 PM GMT+0800 and will resume operations on February 4th, 2030.

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Take note the following sectors:

 Misfortune & Sickness Star this year is at South-East 

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with Sickness Star this year is at North

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Disputes/Quarrel Star this year is at  South West

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Other Sectors:

• Education/Romance Star this year is at East
• Grand Duke this year is West-North-West, 300 Degree.
  - Avoid sitting facing the grand duke or disturbing him by having renovations.
• Location in Conflict is North.
  - Avoid having renovations done opposite the location in conflict.

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Do you understand why we choose to do business during Chinese New Year only on even lunar days?

We start work on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, or 12th days of the lunar new year. In our culture, even numbers stand for “double happiness” and represent balance, while odd numbers are seen as unbalanced.

Traditional funeral customs also support this belief. Funerals are usually held on odd days. For example, if someone passes away on a Monday, the funeral would be held on the next Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday, following the pattern of odd days. This follows the idea of Yin and Yang, where odd days are Yang, and the deceased represent Yin, so they should be buried on a Yang day to maintain harmony.

How strictly is this tradition followed in modern Chinese business practices?

How closely businesses follow the tradition of working on even lunar days during Chinese New Year depends on the company. Traditional and family-run businesses, especially in places where customs are still strong, usually follow this rule quite strictly. Important activities like reopening after the holiday or signing contracts are often set on lucky days. Feng Shui and the meanings of numbers still matter a lot in these choices.

Larger companies and international firms are usually more flexible. Some may recognize the tradition in a symbolic way but do not let it control their whole schedule, especially when they work with global clients or partners. For these businesses, practical needs sometimes come first.

Even so, most companies know about and respect these lucky dates and customs. Many still talk to Feng Shui experts or think about cultural beliefs when choosing important business dates. Today, there is a mix of old traditions and modern needs, with companies keeping the customs when they can without slowing their work.

In summary, how strongly this tradition is followed depends on the type of business and its environment, but these cultural beliefs still influence Chinese business practices in many ways.

 

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Overview of the traditional meaning and customs for each of the 15 days of the Chinese Lunar New Year (Spring Festival). Customs vary by region, but these are widely recognized themes:

Day 1 – 正月初一: Welcoming the Deities / New Year’s Day  
- Significance: Official start of the New Year; welcoming gods of Heaven and Earth.  
- Customs:  
  - Wear new clothes, preferably red or bright colors.  
  - Offerings to household gods and ancestors.  
  - Visits from married children to parents (in many regions, this is done Day 2 instead).  
  - Avoid sweeping or taking out garbage (so you don’t sweep away good fortune).  
  - Avoid cursing, arguing, breaking things, or talking about death/illness.  

Day 2 – 正月初二: Visiting Married Daughters / Welcoming the God of Wealth  
- Significance: A day for married daughters to return to their parental home.  
- Customs:  
  - Daughters return with their husbands and children bearing gifts.  
  - Continued ancestor worship and offerings.  
  - In some traditions, associated with the God of Wealth, with prayers for prosperity.  
  - Some regions start reopening businesses and doing simple work.  

Day 3 – 正月初三: Day of the Red Dog / Avoid Visiting  
- Significance: Considered an inauspicious day for social visits.  
- Customs:  
  - People stay home; avoid visiting friends and relatives to prevent quarrels or bad luck.  
  - Known as Chìgǒu rì (赤狗日, Day of the Red Dog), associated with arguments and misfortune.  
  - Good day for resting, family-only time, and quietly honoring ancestors.  

Day 4 – 正月初四: Welcoming the Kitchen God & Household Deities  
- Significance: Welcoming back the Kitchen God (灶王爷) and other household gods after they’ve reported to Heaven.  
- Customs:  
  - Offerings and incense to Kitchen God and local deities.  
  - Clean and organize offerings and altars at home.  
  - In some businesses, this is a preparation day before formally reopening on Day 5.  

Day 5 – 正月初五: Po Wu (破五) / Welcoming the God of Wealth  
- Significance: Breaking the fifth – breaking early New Year taboos; major day to welcome the God of Wealth (财神).  
- Customs:  
  - Firecrackers are set off early in the morning to welcome wealth and chase away misfortune.  
  - Many shops and businesses reopen, symbolically inviting prosperity.  
  - Taboos such as not sweeping or taking out trash can now be broken.  
  - Dumplings (饺子) are common in northern China, symbolizing wealth (gold ingots).  

Day 6 – 正月初六: Sending Away Poverty  
- Significance: A day to send away poverty (送穷).  
- Customs:  
  - People may thoroughly clean the house and take out accumulated garbage.  
  - Symbolically throwing out old or broken items to remove bad luck and poverty.  
  - More travel and visiting; people feel normal life slowly resuming.  

Day 7 – 正月初七: Renri (人日) – Everyone’s Birthday  
- Significance: Human Day — according to tradition, the day humans were created; considered the common birthday of all people.  
- Customs:  
  - Celebrate people in general: good wishes for everyone’s health and longevity.  
  - In some regions:  
    - Eat Seven-vegetable soup or Seven-vegetable congee.  
    - In Cantonese regions, eat yu sheng (鱼生, raw fish salad) for prosperity and rising fortune.  
  - A day to appreciate human life and relationships.  

Day 8 – 正月初八: Eve of the Jade Emperor’s Birthday  
- Significance: The night before the Jade Emperor’s (玉皇大帝) birthday.  
- Customs:  
  - In some places, families prepare offerings, incense, and sometimes night-long vigils.  
  - In business environments, group prayers for safety and prosperity for the year.  
  - Widely observed in regions with strong Taoist traditions, like Fujian and parts of Southeast Asia.  

Day 9 – 正月初九: Birthday of the Jade Emperor  
- Significance: Major day for worship of the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity in many folk beliefs.  
- Customs:  
  - Large ceremonies with incense, candles, paper offerings.  
  - In some southern regions (especially Fujian), very elaborate rituals and feasts.  
  - People pray for peace, good weather, and success.  

Day 10 – 正月初十: Earth God / Stone-related Traditions (varies by region)  
- Significance: Often associated with Earth-related deities or the God of Stone (石头神) in folk tradition.  
- Customs (vary widely):  
  - Simple offerings to earth or stone deities, asking for stable foundations, safety in building, and good harvests.  
  - In some areas, no stone-related work (moving rocks, quarrying) is done to avoid offending stone spirits.  

Day 11 – 正月十一: Entertaining the Wife’s Family  
- Significance: A day to host the wife’s parents and relatives.  
- Customs:  
  - The couple (husband’s household) prepares a feast to receive the wife’s family.  
  - Focus on strengthening in-law relationships and family harmony.  
  - In some regions, sacrifices and offerings continue for the deities honored on Day 9.  

Day 12 – 正月十二: Preparing for Lantern Festival  
- Significance: Begin full preparations for Lantern Festival on Day 15.  
- Customs:  
  - Making or buying lanterns.  
  - Preparing ingredients for tāngyuán (汤圆) / yuánxiāo (元宵) — sweet glutinous rice balls.  
  - Many New Year visits are winding down; life is increasingly back to normal rhythm.  

Day 13 – 正月十三: Simple Eating / Light Diet Day  
- Significance: Resting and cleansing after many days of rich food.  
- Customs:  
  - Many families eat simpler, plainer meals (more vegetables, lighter food).  
  - In some places, continued lantern-making and temple fairs.  
  - A quieter day, often without strong taboos.  

Day 14 – 正月十四: Final Preparations for Lantern Festival  
- Significance: Full preparation day for the upcoming Lantern Festival.  
- Customs:  
  - Children and families finalize lanterns.  
  - Streets and temples put up decorations.  
  - Communities rehearse lion/dragon dances and other performances.  

Day 15 – 正月十五: Lantern Festival (元宵节)  
- Significance: Official end of the Spring Festival period; first full moon of the new year; celebration of reunion and light.  
- Customs:  
  - Eating tāngyuán or yuánxiāo (round glutinous rice balls) symbolizing family unity and completeness.  
  - Lantern displays: people carry, hang, or admire colorful lanterns.  
  - Guessing lantern riddles (猜灯谜) in many regions.  
  - Lion dances, dragon dances, temple fairs, fireworks in some areas.  
  - Marks a joyful conclusion to the 15-day New Year celebration.  

 

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Year 2030 Forecast

Click Here:
https://www.geomancy.net/content/feng-shui-resources/yearly-forecast/dog-2030-chinese-horoscope-feng-shui-yearly-forecast

Depositing Money $$$ during Li Chun? (立春, Start of Spring) falls on 5th February 2030

1. Date and astronomical meaning (China time)  
   - Li Chun 2027 falls around 4 February 2027 in the Chinese calendar (Beijing time).  
   - Astronomically, it is the moment when the sun reaches 315° ecliptic longitude, marking the first of the 24 solar terms and the traditional start of spring.

2. Role in the Chinese calendar & zodiac  
   - Li Chun marks the start of the solar year, which is different from the Lunar New Year.  
   - In BaZi/Four Pillars, the year pillar changes at Li Chun, not at Lunar New Year.  
   - At Li Chun 2027, the year energy shifts into Ding Wei (丁未) – Fire Goat (Sheep) year in the sexagenary cycle.

3. Cultural and practical significance  
   - Symbolically: a time of renewal, planning, and new beginnings, especially for agriculture and work.  
   - Many people observe Li Chun for:
     - Setting intentions and plans for the new (solar) year  
     - Choosing dates for important activities (business, renovations, etc.)  
     - In some regions, biting spring (咬春) customs, such as eating spring foods or doing symbolic wealth‑related actions (e.g., deposits timed around Li Chun).

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THIS IS A MODERN COMMERCIAL NOVELTY
CAUGHT ON BY SEVERAL LOCAL BANKS MARKETING DEPT., TODAY! LOL! 

Best times to deposit money on Li Chun?

Learn more...

And even adapted by 7eleven…

When to start work?

2026

 

2027

 

 

2028

 

2030

 

 

2031

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a major Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is a day of celebration, forgiveness, and strengthening family and community ties, often observed with prayers, visiting relatives, and festive meals.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri vs Chinese New Year

2025 31 March vs 29 January
2026  20 March vs 17 February
2027  9 March vs 6 February
2028  26 February vs 26 January
2029 15 February vs 13 February
2030 4 February vs 3 February
2031 25 January vs 23 January
2032 14 January vs 11 February
2033 3 Jan & 23 Dec vs 31 January
2034 12 December vs 19 February

*Coincide

Day 7 – 正月初七: Renri (人日) – Everyone’s Birthday  

- Significance: Human Day — according to tradition, the day humans were created; considered the common birthday of all people.  
- Customs:  
  - Celebrate people in general: good wishes for everyone’s health and longevity.  
  - In some regions:  
    - Eat Seven-vegetable soup or Seven-vegetable congee.  
    - In Cantonese regions, eat yu sheng (鱼生, raw fish salad) for prosperity and rising fortune.  
  - A day to appreciate human life and relationships.  

Day 9 – 正月初九: Birthday of the Jade Emperor  
- Significance: Major day for worship of the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity in many folk beliefs.  
- Customs:  
  - Large ceremonies with incense, candles, paper offerings.  
  - In some southern regions (especially Fujian), very elaborate rituals and feasts.  
  - People pray for peace, good weather, and success.  
 

How the sugarcane plant is believed to have saved the Hokkiens

According to Hokkien tradition, long ago during the Chinese New Year period, the Hokkien people were being hunted by enemies. They had nowhere to hide and feared for their lives. They escaped into sugarcane fields and stayed hidden among the tall plants. Because the sugarcane grew thick and high, their enemies could not find them.

The Hokkiens survived by hiding there until the danger passed. This happened on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year, which is also the birthday of the Jade Emperor. Since then, the Hokkien people give thanks to the Jade Emperor on this day and use sugarcane during prayers to remember how the plant helped save their ancestors.

Even today, many Hokkiens celebrate the 9th day of Lunar New Year with sugarcane as a symbol of protection, gratitude, and good fortune.

On 24th February 2026, the 8th lunar day – for sale and ready for praying this evening on the 9th lunar day

The bundled sugarcane stalks have just arrived. A vendor bought them and will sell them at her stall in a few hours.
They are not meant for eating, so the stalks are simply placed on the ground.

Major Chinese Festivals

Lunar Date	Name of Festival	Description
Last day of the 12th month	Eve of Chinese New Year	Keeping brooms out of sight. To prevent what one wishes for in the new year being swept away. Chinese family gather together to have their `reunion' dinner in the evening. All family members (including daughter-in-law) have a feast together.
1st Month, 1st Day	Chinese Lunar New Year	Chinese celebrate the 1st day of Chinese New Year Traditionally (in the past) the picture of the two door gods are pasted on doors:- . General Qin Shu Bao and General Yuchi Jingde of the early Tang Dynasty. Both Generals hold golden axes in their hands and held a sword, bow and arrows on their waist. Some people instead prefer to write their names on the doors instead of hanging their pictures. Make offerings (food) and offer incense to ancestors. Traditionally Fire crackers were let off to drive away evil and illnesses. Chinese couples and their children would visit relatives especially their parents and elders and present them with two mandarin oranges and a `Red packet' or Ang Pow.
1st Month, 2nd Day	2nd Day of Chinese New Year	The daughter-in-law returns to her home to renew ties with her parents, brothers and sisters.
1st Month, 3rd Day	3rd Day of Chinese New Year	Faithful dog day. This day, some Chinese are superstitious and will stay at home to relax and do not visit relatives.
1st Month, 4th Day	4th Day of Chinese New Year	Only after 12.00pm, burning pictures of deities, gods and their bodyguards in the hope that they receive the invitation to visit earth.
1st Month, 5th Day	5th Day of Chinese New Year	The day to bring out rubbish to throw away. The day to remove offerings to the deities and gods. For businesses, offerings to the gods and hang a red cloth over the shop front.
1st Month, 8th Day	8th Day of Chinese New Year	Day of the Heavenly stars or God of Stars. At night, place an altar outdoors and make offering to the stars.
1st Month, 9th Day	9th Day of Chinese New Year	Birthday of the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor was considered a supreme deity who had created Heaven and Earth. He lived in the Jade Capital Mount and thus was known as the Jade Emperor. He is also known as Ti Kong or Heaven God. On this day, some Chinese offer incense and pay their respects to him.
1st Month, 15th Day	Last day of Chinese New Year.	This is the last day of Chinese New Year. In Northern China, originated from the reign of Emperor Wu Di of the Han Dynasty; a pair of lanterns are hung outside the home. Fire crackers were allow let off.

 

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