In a few days time, Chinese people in Singapore and over the world will be celebrating the start of the Chinese New Year.
For several days before the eve of Chinese New Year, Chinese housewives clean and redecorate their homes and shop for waxed duck, Chinese Sausages, mandarin oranges and traditional cakes. They will not sweep during the first few days of the new year because they believe that they might sweep out the good luck. Everything from the decorations, flowers, and even food eaten has special significance for inviting luck and blessings for the new year.
It is believed that the first few days of the New Year will effect the rest of the year. So everything is done to ensure a prosperous future. What you do and how you act during the period is crucial in determining how the rest of your year will go. So, eating the right foods, such as black moss seaweed, which is a homonym for exceeding in wealth, and dried bean curd, which is another homonym for fulfillment of wealth and happiness, is a must.
Decorations like pineapples representing wealth, bamboo signifying strength and longevity, red paper with calligraphy scripts and verses speaking of blessing and prosperity are placed all over the house, over doorposts, and on the front doors.
Officially the holiday lasts for three days, but is traditionally celebrated for 15 days. Singaporeans often take the entire week off from work to celebrate, visiting relatives and friends. Everything has to be just right to set the stage for an auspicious New Year.
A Chinese New Year’s Eve feast doubles as a family reunion, bringing people from all corners of the world back home. Meals are decadent with a spread of symbolically lucky foods. Hong Bao, or red and gold paper packets stuffed with money, are passed out to the younger folk as an auspicious start for a prosperous new year.
Take It to the Next Level
In the Bible, Peter also spoke of things that will insure a Christian will be spiritually prosperous. Like the Chinese New Year, a little house cleaning and what we nourish ourselves with become important.
1 Peter 2:1-17
Peter call us all to a life of holiness (cleaning up our spiritual house) and love in 1 Peter 1:13-25. Verse 23 mentions being born again or born anew. “New borns” must grow into maturity. Much of a parent’s responsibility lies in nurturing and creating an environment for this growth to occur.
Peter begins by assuming that his readers are like newborn babies. Most newborns are passive about everything but getting their nourishment. They enthusiastically go after milk. Peter relates this enthusiasm for nourishment to a new Christian’s desire for spiritual nourishment that will lead to growth in Christ.
That nourishment is pure, spiritual milk. The word milk is part of the figure of speech that goes with newborns. The word pure is genuine – not thinned down milk and refers to the Word of God.
Since you have already tasted and discovered that the Lord is good, the command to long for more spiritual nourishment should be an easy command to obey. The fact that Peter talked about desiring the word in verse 2 and tasting the Lord in verse 3 reminds us that this growth is in our relationship with Christ.
Application
I wonder how many of us are as enthusiastic about the pursuit of God as the Chinese are about the pursuit of good luck. Our reward is not prosperity for a year, but life eternal. Are we willing to do a little personal house cleaning to insure a life of holiness? Is there evidence of spiritual fruitfulness in our lives? Do we have that hunger for the word like new born babies craving milk?
As a closing, you may wish to hand out red packets (you may be able to get stacks of these in your local Chinatown) with scripture verses inside that will encourage your youth in their pursuit of spiritual maturity, and remind them to make this year one where they grow in wisdom and favor with God.
