It’s the time of the year again! Born and raised in a Chinese family, I'd be celebrating the lunar new year in a couple weeks time and what’s the most important activity on the to-do list before we usher in the new year?
Yes! You guessed it right! SPRING CLEANING!!!
Spring cleaning can have many meanings behind different traditions, but for the Chinese, this cleaning ritual is to rid of all the bad luck from the previous year and fill the next with nothing but prosperity and good fortune. After cleaning for the new year, all cleaning tools such as brooms and mops are to be kept away to prevent accidental riddance of any good luck bestowed upon by the new year.
So over the weekend, my family and I spent a total of eight exhausting hours flushing every dust and germ out of the house. I was in charge of the bedrooms and the bathroom. I’m not one who cleans or tidies often but the product after scrubbing of my bathroom walls and pipes really left me feeling satisfied and proud. I even threw out a handful of my unwanted stuff and made much more space in my room.
By the end of the day, my family and I were dead beat on the living room sofa, with every wall and floor tile shining brightly, dust and germ-free. Proud of ourselves for surviving another year of spring cleaning.
I’m not one who believes in these superstitions, but the annual cleaning ritual does has its own advantages - It gave me a reason to not only clean, but also spend a good eight hours with my family.
And nothing beats quality time with family, right?