LUCKY FRUITS FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR

What the Year of the Rabbit holds for your love life—and fortune

ON FEB. 2, fill your dining table with fruits, particularly pineapple, pomelo, orange, apple, banana, grapes and dragon fruit, to attract money, harmony and prosperity. And, who doesn’t want that?

Renowned Hong Kong-based geomancer Joseph Chau, feng shui consultant of Mandarin Oriental, Manila for the past 10 years now, says at least five kinds of these fruits should be placed on a basket on the table. Five means harvest and luck in Chinese.

Don’t forget to put two pieces of ang pao on the table so you can have better luck in the Year of the Metal Rabbit. Add more candies like macapuno on table because they mean “home sweet home.”

It would be auspicious also to have watermelon and lotus seeds on the table which signify money and luck, respectively, in Chinese.

Have your rice bin filled up during the Chinese New Year and place on top more lucky stuff like Chinese lettuce, Chinese celery, spring onions, carrots with leaves and lotus root. The lotus root implies harmonious relationship between husband and wife.

Add kiat kiat or mini ponkans on top of the rice bin overnight with P168 inside the rice bin. Don’t use coins. Use paper notes. Then, place one piece of ang pao on top of them all.

“Then you go to a mall and buy new underwear and a new pair of slippers. Then you take a bath to remove all the bad luck of 2010,” Chau instructs. “Even if you’re lucky in 2010 you still need to do it for the Year of the Rabbit.”

Chau encourages the families to go to Makati because money is concentrated in Makati business district. Mandarin Hotel is facing the northwest direction which is an auspicious location this year.

The Year of the Metal Rabbit, says Chau, is generally a better year than the Tiger (last year). It promises a romantic year for everybody. Business will bloom, specifically in trading, mining (gold), real estate, hotel business.

Economic situation in the Philippines will be better. However, many major disasters will come our way this year. “Serious car accidents, flooding, earthquakes, airplane accidents are just some of them,” Chau predicts.

Lucky colors of the Metal Rabbit, white, sky blue, gold, red, peach, silver, green, orange, pink and violet. Unlucky color: pure black or pure white. “It’s like going to the funeral if you wear all white or all black,” adds Chau.

Love life in general is good for everyone except those under the rat sign. “Illegal relationships,” as Chau calls it, is quite possible. By “illegal” he means the man can possibly have two or more ladies.

Economic situation and stock market are still good. “Tourism will survive. It can bring in a lot of money to the country,” he adds. “To invite more luck for the tourism there should be more water fountain around the country. Water adds harmony. It’s time to explore again the Philippine culture like Mindanao dance to attract more tourists.”

Lucky signs this year: Rabbit, Horse, Goat, Dragon, Rat and Ox.

If Chau is to be believed, the entertainment industry will also show good profit. “This year is lucky for movies and television because of the metal sign. They use their lips/mouth to entertain. Mouth is metal.”

Music, publishing, concerts will exceedingly do well. Even lecturers and public speakers will thrive.

Chau still uses the old zodiac sign. “In Chinese culture we don’t have new zodiac sign. We recognize only the 12 animals.”