CHINA

SPRING-CLEANING IN CHINA HAS A VERY SPECIAL MEANING, BECAUSE DIRT APPLIES IN CHINA AS A HIDING PLACE FOR DEMONS. AT THE SAME TIME, it is ALSO THE SYMBOL OF ALL MISFORTUNE OF THE PAST YEAR. THEREFORE THE APARTMENT MUST BE TIDY FOR THE NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION. THE CHINESE NEW YEAR HOWEVER DOES NOT TAKE PLACE ON JANUARY 1ST AS IT DOES IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, BUT BETWEEN JANUARY 21ST AND FEBRUARY 20TH. NOT JUST AT ANYTIME, ONLY WHEN THE FIRST NEW MOON APPEARS BETWEEN THESE TWO DATES.

CLEANING WITH BRANCHES OF BAMBOO...1.3 BILLION CHINESE ARE CLEANING THEIR APARTMENTS LIKE MAD UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE THE NEW YEAR WITH BRANCHES OF BAMBOO. BECAUSE THOSE WHO WANT TO GET RID OF THE BAD SPIRITS AND THE DUST AT THE SAME TIME, IN ORDER NOT TO TAKE THEM INTO THE NEW YEAR, MUST USE BAMBOO BRANCHES. SOME CHINESE, WHO USE A VACUUM CLEANER, HANG A FEW BAMBOO BRANCHES ON THE CORD OF THE VACUUM CLEANER. JUST IN CASE, BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY!

CLEANING FRENZY EVEN IN PRIVATE LIFE...THE CLEANING FRENZY IS NOT ONLY LIMITED TO THE PRIVATE HOME. THUS IN VIEW OF THE NEW YEAR, IN THE LIFE OF EACH PARTICULAR, ONE CLEANS UP, BECAUSE THE SITUATION TO THE TURN OF THE YEAR REPRODUCES ITSELF OVER THE FOLLOWING ONE. THEREBY ALL PENDING DEBTS ARE TO BE SETTLED, ONE RECONCILES oneself - AT LEAST TEMPORARILY WITH THE NEIGHBOURS AND SETTLES ALL OTHER FEUDS IN A FRIENDLY WAY.

NO SWEEPING AFTER THE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION...IN THE NEW YEAR'S NIGHT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE WHOLE FAMILY LEAVES THE HOUSE BEFORE TWILIGHT TO GO FOR A WALK. THIS TRADITION IS HERE TO TRY TO LURE BAD MEMORIES AND IN GENERAL EVERYTHING BAD FROM THE LAST YEAR OUT AND AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. IN THE FOLLOWING ONE EXPECTS THE TURN OF THE YEAR WITH A BEAUTIFULLY CLEANED KITCHEN AND OPEN DOORS AND WINDOWS, IN ORDER TO LET THE LUCK INSIDE. BY THE WAY, SWEEPING IS FORBIDDEN AFTER THE CELEBRATION, BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE LUCK WOULD ALSO BE SWEPT AWAY.