So this auspicious new start is celebrated appropriately with some fanfare. In provincial parts of China, the spring festival is a huge event where farmers and householders make lavish offerings and supplications to the deities of agriculture and four elements to request for blessings of abundant harvests, protection from crop disease and disasters. Great emperors of the past have also held important ceremonies on the first day of spring to request blessings from the deities for protection against famine and mass disasters.

Li Chun is also a very significant day in Chinese metaphysics. It marks the time and date that the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of of 315°; so this is the day that the annual Flying Star Feng Shui Chart and Paht Chee chart of the year comes into effect. So if you’re preparing your home for the new energies of the year, this is an important date to take note.

Traditionally, households will perform many rituals on this day to signify an a fresh and auspicious start. Here are some of the most important activities to perform before and during Li Chun Day. 

1. Settle all your debts before Li Chun

 It is vital not to begin the new year with “unfinished business” or owing money to others. It is believed that if you start the year with debt (even small ones), you are likely to suffer financial setbacks for the rest of the year. So usually, we Chinese will try to settle our financial obligations before the start Spring. 

• Settle all your credit card obligations and loan installments due for the month. “Financial obligations” here refer to debt you owe based on existing contractual arrangements. As long as you pay your loan installments and credit card minimum payment required for that month, you’re covered. If you have arranged flexi-payments and so forth, ensure that you meet the installments required for that month. Make these payments even if it hasn’t reached the due date yet. The idea is to begin the new year with a clean [accounting] book.
• Pay back any outstanding “mini” debts to friends and relatives. You know, like the time you went to a restaurant and split the bill with your friends – make sure you settle these little debts! 
• Pay up whatever is due to your business suppliers based on the payment terms you have agreed.
• Don’t forget people who look after your household: gardener, housekeeper, babysitter or anyone whom you may still owe wages!
• Avoid making large purchases (buying a car) or taking out new loans just before Li-Chun or Chinese New Year. If you need to purchase something big, do it after Chinese New Year.

2. Deposit money or create a fixed deposit investment in your bank account

It is very auspicious for money to come to you on the first day of Spring! So here in Asia, we have a tradition of depositing some money into our bank accounts during auspicious astrological times on the first day of Spring. Traditionally, wealthy families in ancient China would add gold ingots to the family treasury, top up their ladies’ purses and stock up their grain houses for the start of the year. In modern times, we can view our bank accounts as our money purses! I’ve created a table below that shows important times for depositing money into your account based on your animal sign. 

Ways to deposit money into your account:

• Deposit cash during the auspicious time
• Ask a relative or spouse to transfer money into your account during the auspicious hour.

Note: Li Chun Day begins at 10.42am on 4th February so all the hours before that time are not relevant to this ritual.  

The times shown below are based on China Standard Time (Beijing time – same as Malaysia and Singapore Time). If you’re living in a different time zone please convert it to your time. On the header row, look for your animal sign, and then check which hours are recommended for your sign. 

(Click the table below to enlarge)