Year of the Dragon – Day Three

Day three of Chinese New Year is not as much fun as the preceding two – it is the day when people pay respect to the dead. Rather than call upon your friends and family it is common practice to go grave-visiting instead. Many people shy away from leaving the house on day three as they believe evil spirits roam the earth on this day (perhaps shut the windows in your office).

Businesses that have been closed will re-open, and prayers are held in order to be blessed with prosperity for the year ahead. If you are a conservative Chinese business owner you will wait until after the fifth day to avoid the aforementioned roaming evil spirits.

Should you choose to venture outside and risk running into the “God of Blazing Wrath”  it will generally be to visit the temple of the God of Wealth to have your future told.

It is also very common to wear red underwear on this day – in fact department stores across Asia are stocked to the ceiling with red undergarments featuring gold illustrations of your Chinese horoscope sign – they are a very popular gift amongst sweethearts.

Click here for our recipe of the day – Jiaozi -  a form of Chinese dumplings that is very popular during the Festival!

Todays Horoscope (Pig):
The Year of the Water Dragon, January 23, 2012 to February 9, 2013, brings confidence and determination to you. You are tough, and can move through periods of great stress and transformation with an unusual degree of stability. Water encourages you to go with the flow. Be sure this does not mean unnecessary compromise or sacrifice of important principles. Throughout the year, you’ll have more opportunities to take action to better your life and be of service to others. An opportunity is a choice. Without action opportunity evaporates into good intentions. To make it powerful, jump in with both feet when something comes your way.

Quirky facts of the day:

*Fortune cookies are not a traditional Chinese custom. They were invented in 1920 by a worker in the Key Heong Noodle Factory in San Francisco.

*One in every five people in the world is Chinese – China’s population is four times that of the United States!

Words of the Day:

“ni hao” – hello   
“ni hao ma” – how are you?

How does it sound?
“Ni hao” (nee how)
“Ni hao ma” (nee how ma)

*If you are speaking to an elder and would like to be extra respectful add an “n” to the “ni” leading to “nin hao” (ning how)