Why You Shouldn’t Sweep Your House on New Year’s Day?

Introducing the age-old Vietnamese tradition of refraining from sweeping on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Uncover the intriguing reasons behind this long-standing cultural practice and explore why starting the year with a clean sweep may not be advisable!

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With the arrival of Spring, it is customary for people to remind each other of the things to avoid doing at the start of the year, in hopes of a peaceful and fortunate new year, free from any unnecessary bad luck.

According to folk beliefs, sweeping on the first day of Tet sweeps away your wealth and luck for the entire year, leading to financial instability for the family. This belief holds that family members will be unable to accumulate wealth, and any wealth accumulated will be spent on external matters without the ability to save.

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Why shouldn’t you sweep the house on the first day of Tet?

This superstition stems from the idea that when you throw out the trash, you also get rid of the God of Wealth. Therefore, people usually pile up the trash in a corner and wait until the second day of Tet to clean.

This superstition is based on an ancient Chinese tale recorded in the “Sou Shen Ji.”

The story goes that a merchant named Au Minh received a servant named Nhu Nguyet from the Water God while passing by Qing Cao Lake. After bringing her home, Au Minh’s business flourished, and his family became wealthy. One day, on the first day of Tet, Au Minh beat Nhu Nguyet for an unknown reason, and she hid in a pile of garbage in the corner of the house. Au Minh’s wife accidentally swept and threw away the garbage, including Nhu Nguyet. From then on, the family’s fortune declined. People believed that Nhu Nguyet was the God of Wealth and set up an altar to worship her. Thus, the custom of avoiding sweeping and taking out the trash on the first day of the year to avoid sweeping away good fortune came into being.

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I hope this article helps you understand why you shouldn’t sweep the house on the first day of Tet to avoid bad luck for the rest of the year. Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year.

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Frequently asked questions

Sweeping on New Year’s Day is believed to sweep away the incoming good luck and fortune for the year. It is a tradition in many cultures to avoid sweeping during the first few days of the new year to ensure a prosperous and lucky year ahead.

You can use a vacuum cleaner instead of a broom to avoid the act of ‘sweeping’. Alternatively, you can also use a damp cloth or mop to clean your floors and pick up any debris. Another option is to simply tidy up and organize your home without engaging in any ‘sweeping’ actions.

Yes, there are numerous other superstitions and beliefs surrounding New Year’s Day in various cultures. For example, wearing certain colors, such as red, is believed to bring good luck in the Chinese culture. Eating specific foods, like black-eyed peas or grapes, is also thought to bring prosperity and good fortune in the new year. Each culture has its own unique set of traditions and superstitions surrounding this special day.

Yes, the belief is specifically tied to New Year’s Day and, in some cultures, the first few days of the new year. After this period, you are free to resume your regular cleaning routine, including sweeping, without worrying about bringing bad luck upon yourself.

Here are some common New Year’s superstitions and their interpretations:

1. Loud noises: In many cultures, loud noises, such as firecrackers or noisemakers, are believed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck for the coming year.

2. Opening windows: Opening all the windows in your home during the first few minutes of the new year is thought to allow the old year to escape and make way for new beginnings.

3. Money matters: Handling money on New Year’s Day is a superstition with varying beliefs. Some cultures suggest lending money to bring a year of abundance, while others advise against it to prevent a year of financial struggle.

4. First visitor: In Scotland, it is believed that the first visitor of the year (known as the ‘first-footer’) brings either good or bad luck for the coming year. Ideally, the first-footer should be a tall, dark-haired man bringing gifts such as coal (for warmth), shortbread (for food), and whiskey (for cheer).