The art of making luck

The day for drawing boundaries is here. No one is to clean, for fear of washing away a year’s worth of future luck. Firecrackers and the clash of symbols keep the spirits at bay. Lions and dragons have taken to the street, and to our doors and entrances. The gifts have been given and we are all well fed and partied out. Hard work is something for tomorrow, acting well the order of the day. Fortunate words abound. Kindness is on everyone’s lips.

Chinese New Year in Singapore. Banned in Cultural Revolution China, the practice was kept alive by Chinese communities abroad. Diaspora-led and evolved practices would reinform the now-renamed Spring Festival in mainland China following the lifting of the ban in 1980.  

Images: © Jacnwill | Dreamstime.com; Kertu, Adobe