Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning started originally as a ceremony to ward off evil and cleanse the household before the New Year. Drums and 'gong' (Chinese cymbals) are sounded to sacred evil spirits away. It soon developed in to a once-a-year major house cleaning activity, where the entire house is physically cleaned.

Spring Cleaning usually occur after the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, when the Festival Markets open and the New Year preparations go into full gear, but before the twenty-third day when the Kitchen Gods are sent back to heaven to report the doings of the household. Any auspicious day within this period will be suitable for Spring Cleaning. The idea is not to let the Kitchen God return to heaven with dust on his head.

This activity is an extremely significant part of the New Year preparations. For the richer families, the head, who seldom get involve in household activities, will personally direct the servants to clean the house. For the poorer families, it is a whole family affair. Every nook and cranny of the house must be free from dust and spider web. Items associated with the previous New Year, like old couplet, paper cuttings and New Year paintings must be removed and burnt.

After the Spring Cleaning period, it is customary to visit the barber for a haircut. It is now time to shop for new clothes and new couplets, paper cuttings etc. to welcome the new year. Basically, the idea is to rid the old to welcome the new. And after Spring Cleaning, New Year is really in the air!