Preparing our homes for the Chinese New Year – The Year of the Yang Wood Horse – is a powerful way to start the year with a focus on all the things you want in the New Year and to limit those things you don’t want during the year. Setting the “Stage for Success” starts with your home since we spend most of our time there sleeping, sharing relationships, preparing and eating food. It’s the central hub of our life.
To start off the New Year, put clean, fresh sheets, pillows and covers on your bed. Clean the room to have a “fresh start” to the Year of the Horse on January 31, 2014.
Here are a few things to do BEFORE the New Year. The reason we do these tasks before the new year is so we have a “fresh start” with the type of energy we want to continue during the year.
There are some things we DON’T want to do on the first day of the New Year. The reason behind this rational is that we don’t want to be doing these things ALL YEAR LONG. It’s said, “Whatever you do on New Year’s Day will continue throughout the rest of the year.”
- Clean your home thoroughly before the New Year arrives. This symbolizes cleaning and sweeping away bad luck to make room for the new.
- Clean inside your front door area and the outside porch. Get a new door mat if needed.
- Dust and wash all windowsills. Clean at least one window to have a clear vision materialize during the year.
- Pay attention to cleaning your kitchen and stove. Replace burner liners if they aren’t shiny. As mentioned in an earlier post, de-clutter the refrigerator of any leftovers. clean your pantry and replenish with nourishing food.
- Dust and vacuum your bedroom, air out the bed and put on clean sheets the day before New Year’s Day. If sheets are very worn, purchase new ones to start the year off right.
- Refrain from sweeping on New Year’s Day.
- When sweeping, DO NOT sweep from the inside out. Sweep from the inside edge of the door toward the inside of the house. On the outside, sweep from the edge of the porch or a few feet from the door towards the door sill. Place this dust and debris in a trash container INSIDE the house. The reason is so you don’t sweep the “Good Luck” away from the house, but are actually gathering it up and are grateful for all the good that has been bestowed on you this year.
