Every year, I have two little traditions around Chinese New Year. Some might see them as religious, but for me, they’re just cultural habits I’ve kept over the years.
The first is giving the Goddess of Mercy (Kuan Im) statue in my house her good annual bath. Since she’s made of marble, I can place her in a special tub (which I bought just for this) and scoop scented water over her repeatedly. Out of convenience, I always do this three days before Chinese New Year, right after my family completes our year-end prayers to the ancestors in the morning. The afternoon then becomes busy for me—I clean the altar, tidy up the joss urn, wipe down the altar table and finally, bathe the Kuan Im statue before putting up the Chinese New Year banners over the doorway. And with that, the first ritual is done.
The second is welcoming the Coming of Spring by filling the rice bucket on the Jip Chun (or Li Chun, 立春) day. This date usually falls on the third or fourth of February, depending on the calendar. But because 2024 was a leap year, Jip Chun arrived earlier—on 3rd February at 10.12pm. Along with filling the bucket, I also paste the character Chun (春) on it. So according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, Spring is finally here!
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