They bring gifts and food to prepare the dinner. One of the most common traditions is to eat a whole fish as part of the dinner. This is because the pronunciation of the Chinese word for fish also means 'being abundant', so it symbolises wellbeing and prosperity.
There are a few rules when eating fish to bring the most luck in the coming year: The fish is always served with the head and tail intact and the head should be placed towards the elders or distinguished guests at the dinner table. In certain regions of China, the head and tail are eaten the last.
Why is the Lucky Fish Symbolic of Chinese New Year? The fish has a symbolic meaning for the Chinese people, particularly when celebrating Chinese New Year. The Arowana Fish also known as the Dragon Fish is believed to have descended from a mythical dragon and have the power to bring happiness and prosperity.
In Chinese tradition, white is an unlucky color because it symbolizes death, so all white foods are out for the celebration. Tofu, eggs, rice, cauliflower, white cheeses—say goodbye to them for the night.
It's also suggested you should not eat certain things on New Year's Eve, in order to prevent bad luck for the year ahead, such as lobster and chicken. Since lobsters can move backwards, eating them before the stroke of midnight may cause setbacks. For chickens, the idea is similar as they can scratch backwards.
Black is not the happiest of colors in traditional Chinese color symbolism, representing destruction, evil, cruelty, and sadness. The Chinese word for black is 'hei' which stands for bad luck, irregularity, and illegality.
Arowana fish is considered lucky because it is believed to bring luck and fortune!
Lucky Number of Fish in Aquarium
Most feng shui practitioners agree that the number nine is the most auspicious number, so it's no wonder that this is the favored number of fish for your tank or aquarium. The number nine is the number for prosperity, which symbolizes your wealth having a long life span.
The colour of the fish chosen also plays a big part in Feng Shui aquariums. Brighter colours such as red, yellow and blue promote good “chi”. Darker colours such as black can also be good when accompanied by gold coloured fish, but there should always be more gold than black e.g. 2 gold and 1 black, 8 gold and 1 black.
Fish. Fish is believed to be a lucky New Year's Eve food because fish's scales resemble coins, and they swim in schools, which invokes the idea of abundance. Plus, before they become a New Year's Eve food, fish swim forward, which represents progress.
The word for fish, “Yu”, sounds like the word for wish and abundance, so fish is used to symbolize wishes for abundance in the New Year. Fish is also used to symbolize richness, plenty, surplus, luck, prosperity and happiness.
Eating fish is considered good luck since the Chinese word for “fish” (鱼 Yú /yoo) sounds like the word for “extra” (余 Yú /yoo). It is good fortune to have extra at the end of the year as this means you are taking this surplus into the following year.
Oranges, mandarins, tangerines, and kumquats are considered lucky. Kumquats are presented as gifts since it's thought that they'll bring luck and fortune. Citrus fruits have a rounded shape representing wholeness, and their bright yellow colour represents positivity and abundance.
New Year's Eve, Chuxi (Traditional Chinese: 除夕, Pinyin: chúxī, Traditional Chinese: abbr. for 年除夕, Pinyin: niánchúxī, literally translated: year- get rid of- evening)
Multiples of three fish provide the most luck and symbolize “yang” energy. The best combination is two goldfish (representing good luck and energy) and one black fish (representing protection). But even one fish will activate the chi in your space.
According to Vastu Shastra, goldfish should be kept in the house. Goldfish are very helpful in increasing the good luck of the house. They are considered to be the most sacred and prosperity bringing fishes of all. The fish looks like gold and is said to add a glow of gold in your life as well.
As per Vastu you can keep: One fish which symbolises new beginnings. Three fish in an aquarium symbolises growth and development. Six fish in an aquarium symbolises mentor luck.
Arowana Fish
This is also popularly referred to as Dragon Fish and is amongst the most preferred feng shui fish for aquariums. Arowana fish symbolizes wealth, power, health and happiness in feng shui.
Arowana fish is a fortunate feng shui fish that is thought to bring money, good health, joy, and prosperity. It is one of the costliest aquarium fishes, unlike the aquarium carp fish. Goldfish are also considered to be among the best aquarium fish in India according to Vastu Shastra.
Traditionally, local fishermen have regarded the species with great respect. They believe these gentle giants bring good luck, and so, for decades, they have tossed the sharks fish scraps in the hope of keeping the behemoths—and the good luck they bring—close by.
8 is the luckiest number in Chinese culture because his pronunciation “Ba” sounds similar to the word “fa”, which means to make fortune. The number 8 is associated with wealth, prosperity, success and status and for this reason business men favor it very much.
Chinese culture: five blessings, also known as the "Five Happiness" or "Five Good Fortunes", which refer to longevity, wealth, health and composure, love of virtue, and the desire to die a natural death in old age (or timely death).
Washing laundry over the holiday can also mean washing good luck down the drain with the wash water. For similar reasons, many cultures believe washing your hair on New Year's is also bad luck, so you may want to skip washing anything on the holiday to be safe.