Basically on New Year’s day, house cleaning is the last thing one should be thinking in a Chinese household.
Cleaning the whole house should have been done before the blow of the New Year wind. And all cleaning implements such as the dust pan and broom, the floor wax, the dusters, the mop and bucket should have been put away out of sight before the New Year. The whole house must be clean as a whistle, bright and sparkly and dust free.
Cleaning the house on New Year’s day is sweeping away the new year’s good fortune that has just landed on your doorsteps, your windows, your rooms, your whole house.
Of course there are times when it is unavoidable to have a little mess. Tidy it up as best as you could. Sweep it in towards the middle of the room and gather the rubbish up and put it in a bag in a corner of a room and throw away a few days after the new year.
With our close connection with Chinese people, their superstitions have influenced our own Filipino ways. We do practise this house-cleaning too and ensure not to sweep dirt on new year’s day.