How to bring luck into the Lunar New Year

During the holidays, I had the most interesting conversation with Master Hanz Cua. As we do yearly, we caught up to discuss tips and tricks to bring good luck in the new year. Though it’s not quite Chinese New Year, it is always best to start early.

Our chitchat began with “Gold is the color of the year!” So dazzle in it in 2025.

Cua quickly veered our conversation to the kitchen, knowing that it is my domain.

In the New Year, he stressed that the vibe of the house is most important, and this begins in the kitchen. The kitchen must be beautiful, neat, and in order. One cannot underestimate the importance of the kitchen. The kitchen signifies fire, and fire fuels health and wealth.

This is why it is important to keep the kitchen bright. Do not forget to turn the lights on and to keep the windows open. Let the sun shine through. Doing so brings new energy, improved circulation, and good health to the dwellers. It also invites an influx of new wealth.

Rid the kitchen of trash and clutter. It must be kept clean at all times. Not just in the new year, but all the time. A clean and bright kitchen boosts energy and brings luck.

Clean the stove, and if the stove is no longer working, get a new one. Stoves are important as they are generators of wealth. A new stove brings new wealth and new opportunities.

To further enhance good fortune, add red elements and incorporate some touches of wood—like furniture, cabinets, and trinkets. Why? Because red is the color of fire and wood feeds fire. Thus, red plus wood accelerates luck.

Salt, sugar, condiments, and rice containers should be kept full. LPG and water dispensers, too.

Fix all leaking faucets. Leaking faucets mean leaking wealth.

If your kitchens are adorned with curtains, wash or change them. Replace them with a metallic color, preferably gold.

12 fruits

Remember to keep a bowl with an assortment of 12 kinds of fruits by the kitchen counter and/or the dining area. It should be 12 to ensure good fortune for all the months of the year. For Cua, there is no such thing as unlucky fruits. All fruits are auspicious.

I was bewildered by his revelation. Cua intimated that he does not prescribe having a house with more than one kitchen. He went on to say that houses in the Philippines usually have two kitchens when there should only be one, the clean kitchen.

According to him, in feng shui, the kitchen represents the mother of the household, and in a household there should only be one mother. One queen! So keep just one clean kitchen, and build it in the south or southwest area of the house.

Cua also urged everyone to eat well, and to eat a balanced diet. Food is health, and health is wealth. In feng shui, it is believed that full stomachs and a happy family generate good fortune.

“If we eat fresh and healthy, we attract positive energy, and positive energy brings good luck,” said Cua.

12 fruits in a bowl is considered auspicious. —GEMINI GENERATED IMAGE

“Lahat ng pagkain swerte” (All food is auspicious), he said. Incorporate lechon, chicken, fish, 12 fruits into your menu.

Noodles are a must for long life. Do not forget tikoy and sweets for harmonious relationships within the family.

2025 is the year of the wooden snake, and the snake belongs to the fire element, and fire is needed to cook food; therefore, expect food businesses to flourish once again in 2025.

You may also eat your way to prosperity by indulging in fiery and spicy food. Grilled food also brings luck.

Lastly, Cua suggested displaying a snake figure near the dining area or in the living room to further beckon good cheer.

Here are two of our everyday barbecue recipes at home. I hope you enjoy them.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, peaceful and meaningful 2025.