Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
In Chinese culture, feng shui plays a major part in our lives as many believe that if feng shui is used properly, it will bring us good fortune, protect us from bad luck and more. Whilst there are imbalances of yin/yang chi of the space, it will create bad feng shui. Sometimes it will bring disaster and even, death.
With feng shui, brooms, mops and any cleaning gear are considered bad luck. If they are used properly, they can sweep out the negative energy of the home or business. If they are not used properly, they can sweep away the good and positive auspicious energy of the home or business. Hence it is best to keep them out of sight after cleaning is done.
I mentioned in an earlier post that my mum came to the UK to visit us. During her stay, she passed down a lot of feng shui tips and suggested I change several things. One of the suggestions was regarding fake flowers and plants. She said that if a house is filled with too many fake flowers and artificial plants, it will attract a lot of fake relationships, like friendships, and also gossip into our lives. I’m not sure where she heard it from. But she is quite an avid listener of feng shui podcasts and Buddhism YouTube channels. Each day, the channels will share tips and predictions for the zodiac animals.
Are creepers and climbing plants bad for feng shui? Recently, my mum came to the UK to visit us and she noticed that I had a climbing plant outside my son’s room (he lives in an annexe, away from the main house) and wasn’t very pleased with it. She told me that according to feng shui masters, climbing plants is a big no-no for a house. They not only damage our wall structure, but they will also create a strong negative force for everyone living in the home.
Several years ago, I wrote an article on Gifts to avoid buying for Chinese People and one of the items is an umbrella. Now I would like to expand on the Chinese superstitions regarding the umbrella taboo in our Chinese culture. In the feng shui study, they believe that used correctly, an umbrella will bring you luck and wealth. However, if you use it wrongly, it will bring you misfortune. Do you believe it?
I hadn’t heard of this taboo of never hanging clothing out overnight until I heard from Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories podcast. Some people believe that hanging clothing at night will attract wandering spirits to get attached to the clothing. It will cause us to have bad luck. I will list a few examples later in the post.
Buying your new home is a very proud moment for you and your family. It is likely one of the most expensive purchases you will make and therefore it’s a big deal for everyone involved. Many Chinese people observe or believe in several Chinese customs.
Many Chinese people are very superstitious, particularly among the elderly and I would include myself in that. If you read the blog post that I wrote earlier this year on the meaning of 15 days of Lunar New Year, you will recall that some Chinese (Taoism and Buddhism) would pray to the God of Wealth for blessing. For this blessing money in Chinese, we called it 偏财 (Piān cái). It is an expected income or floating assets such as bonuses, lottery winnings, stock benefits, etc.
Many Chinese believe that fish attracts the chi/good energy that brings good luck, abundance and prosperity (年年有余 Nian Nian You Yu – an abundant and surplus-filled year after year)! The number 9 in feng shui principles is the most auspicious and complete number. Hence in many Chinese paintings, pictures, ponds or aquariums, you will find nine fishes in it. In feng shui, they believe that eight fishes should be red or golden and one should be black (which symbolizes strength).
We all heard something about Feng Shui – the traditional Chinese philosophy that helps people take care of their life better. It works on many levels in our life, and it works on the premise that what is closest to you has the most impact on your physical and emotional health. And what can be closer to you than your clothing?
Today I am going to share some Feng Shui tips for your wardrobe. To use it or not – it is all up to you, but nothing will change if you won’t make an impact. So do your choices and let’s get to those tips right away.
