Does someone taking something from my pocket at New Year take away my good luck?

There is no need to assume all your luck has been taken because someone once removed something from your pocket. This symbolism does exist in folk custom. I suggest knowing about it and paying a little attention, without taking it too seriously.

For example, someone might interpret removing a phone from another person’s coat pocket as taking away their luck. In my understanding of faith, believing in a symbol can have a corresponding influence. However, this does not mean the event must be disastrous. When discussing it, I also said it was not serious enough to keep worrying about.

New Year has many details, but I place greater importance on family speaking well to each other, exchanging auspicious words, and avoiding arguments. Knowing customs should help us begin well, rather than leave us frightened all day over one action.

Deliberately taking someone’s possessions to borrow their fortune is a different matter. Some teach such harmful practices, and I personally feel they may have some influence. In my understanding, moving from merely thinking about it to actually taking something strengthens that energetic connection. Furthermore, reaching into someone’s pocket and taking belongings resembles theft and is wrong. Wanting better luck cannot justify treating others that way.

Dao Yue once asked whether her husband taking money from her wallet was the same. I said then that spouses living together share their lives, which differs from a husband taking someone else’s money. We need to distinguish these contexts rather than equate an everyday action between spouses with deliberately taking possessions to borrow another person’s fortune.