Brothers and sisters, today is the second day of the Lunar New Year — and Master Chi has come to wish you a Happy New Year!
This has become something of a tradition. New Year’s Eve was for the auspicious profile picture, the first day was kept for family and personal reflection, and the second day — that’s yours.
Now, this year is the Bing Wu Year (Year of the Fire Horse). From a traditional perspective, this is a year when the overall tide is turning — emerging from a stretch of turbulence and obstacles — and so it will be filled with opportunity and hope.
With that in mind, Master Chi doesn’t want to pile on flowery words. I only want to express the most sincere wishes from the heart.
First, I hope you can ride this new wave of momentum and achieve lasting growth in your career, your wealth, and your personal development. May you get what you seek, cut through every obstacle, and reap good harvests from the good seeds you plant.
Second, may your life be full and happy. May the partners, family, friends, noble benefactors (Gui Ren), and important people around you cherish and support you — while those who would do you harm never cross your path.
Third, may you build steadily, stone by stone. Starting from this very moment, may things only grow and never diminish. May your life begin a new chapter — leaving every past setback behind and moving forward with momentum.
Just these three things. And of course — health above all. That one goes without saying.
Now, on to the Spring Festival practical guidance. Master Chi will keep it brief this time.
1. If you have a television at home, loop the Spring Festival Gala (the CCTV New Year’s variety show) or other programs filled with laughter and joy.
The positive energy of the Gala is extraordinarily strong. Even as background sound, it lifts the entire atmosphere of the home. During the New Year, a house that is completely silent and still carries a somewhat stagnant, heavy energy — so fill it with sound and life.
2. As long as health allows, keep a moderate spread of sweets and snacks on the table. Starting the year with sweetness all around matters to those who take these things seriously.
In Master Chi’s own home, the New Year table holds White Rabbit candies, peanut nougat, chocolate, and all kinds of nuts. We’re also particularly fond of pastries from the Harbin Food Factory — especially their Chocolate Venus, Tiffany cakes, éclair puffs, and cream rings.
3. At every meal, try to leave just one small bite of food and rice uneaten. The meaning: never eat something down to nothing, never drain anything completely — always leave a little room and space for yourself.
By many old-generation customs, the leftover food would be tidied onto a small plate and left outside for wild animals. That may not be the most practical habit today, but the intention behind it is a good one.
4. Pay close attention to your words. Say good things freely — say nothing bad.
No matter how the feeling moves you, don’t let emotion carry you into blurting out “Let me tell you the hard truth!” to someone. During the New Year, people only want to hear things that feel pleasant and auspicious. Don’t be the one who brings the mood down.
Also — words like qiong (poverty), si (death), bing (illness), hui (ruin), zai (disaster), ku (suffering) — avoid them if you can. Keep them off your tongue entirely.
5. For clothing, lean toward vibrant, multi-colored choices — and if there are fun or charming patterns on them, even better. Don’t worry about whether it looks “serious enough.” The New Year is for joy.
If you have options: men do well in styles featuring blooming flowers in full color; women do well in lively cartoon or animated animal prints. For children, there are truly no restrictions — anything that radiates happiness and good fortune is perfect.
Take all of the above as you see fit.
To close — Master Chi is continuing to spend the New Year with family as well. Guidance by Chinese zodiac (shengxiao) will be ready before the fifth day of the New Year, so stay tuned.