立春 (pronounced "Li Chun") is the first of the 24 solar terms, of which the year was split into in Chinese history. When directly translated, 立 means standing straight while 春 means spring, so in simple and modern terms, Li Chun signifies the official beginning of the Spring season and the beginning of the Chinese solar year (calculated based on the Sun's position). On the Gregorian calendar, it falls anywhere from the 3rd to the 5th of February and this year, Li Chun falls on the 3rd (today) starting 10:58pm!
So, what does that mean? Of course, the "traditional" thing to do would be to balance an egg upright in the spirit of 立 (standing) and then posting a picture of it to your social media. This is more possible compared to other days of the year as the Earth's gravitational field is believed to be stronger due to the alignment of the moon and the sun.
But Li Chun is more than just balancing eggs. In Chinese Feng Shui, it is believed to be an extremely auspicious day, making it perfect to carry out big plans such as starting new businesses, getting married, groundbreaking, moving houses, or signing contracts. In recent years, another activity has caught on.
Aside from the aforementioned activities, Li Chun is believed to be perfect for financial activities, investments, known as 动财 (pronounced "dong cai") which literally means moving your wealth. So many people choose to make big investments, big purchases or just deposit money into their bank accounts on this day. In Feng Shui, there are also such things as auspicious timing too, so you can refer to the table by Feng Shui Master Louis Loh for the best times to move your wealth according to your Chinese Zodiac.
(Since Li Chun starts at night this year, the table refers to times on 4/2/2021.)
"大吉" RED = Very Good
"吉" ORANGE = Good
"平" GREY = Normal
"忌" BLACK = Avoid
Keep in mind that the pandemic is still very real and there is a Movement Control Order being enforced. So, before rushing to the bank and crowding it up just to deposit some money into your bank account, why not consider finding a friend and transferring money to each other. Remember, it's the significance that counts, not the amount!
We wish you a happy Chinese New Year and an abundance of good fortune, health and wealth!
