Everyday Life
After breaking something during Lunar New Year, must I leave it on the altar for several days?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
No need to keep broken objects specially on the altar. Broken glass or ceramics during New Year can suggest loss of wealth through the word ‘break.’ Chinese customs often use wordplay to express wishes, so saying ‘peace in every fragment,’ sounding like ‘peace year after year,’ turns the negative association into a blessing.
Avoiding breakage is naturally preferable. If it happens, offer the blessing and dispose of the fragments. When a report recommended leaving them on the altar for days to avert disaster, I said that was unnecessary and discarding them was fine. Homes without altars need not worry either.
Understanding customs means understanding their intention. A few fewer days on an altar or one New Year accident should not leave you fearing an unsafe entire year.