In the elaborate and nuanced system of Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, shopping—a mundane, everyday activity for modern people—occupies a complex and ambiguous position in traditional cultural contexts. Unlike explicit taboos such as "do not sweep the floor," "do not wash clothes," or "do not use knives or scissors," the question of whether one can shop during the New Year is never a simple "yes" or "no." Instead, it is a flexible norm that varies according to time, place, and social context. From the last-minute frenzy of New Year purchases on New Year's Eve, to the centuries-old tradition of shops closing on the first day of the year; from the grand ritual of "Opening Business on the Fifth" to the new e-commerce practice of "no shutdown during Spring Festival"—the rhythm of shopping reflects a deep societal understanding of the dynamic balance between labor and rest, transaction and relationship, secular and sacred.
1. Pre-New Year's Eve: Shopping as the Peak of Year-End Rituals
To understand New Year shopping taboos, one must first clarify a fundamental premise: large-scale, high-intensity shopping before New Year's Eve is not taboo but an essential part of the Spring Festival ritual system, known collectively as "preparing New Year's goods" (ban nian huo).
Meaning of Pre-New Year Shopping
From the Little New Year (Xiao Nian) on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, when the Kitchen God is sent to heaven, to the New Year's Eve reunion dinner, these seven or eight days represent the highest annual intensity of shopping and consumption. Pre-New Year shopping is more than material acquisition; it embodies a series of cultural behaviors:
- Offerings to gods and ancestors: incense, paper money, fruits, and flowers—purchased to communicate with the divine and honor ancestors.
- Family reunion feasts: chicken, duck, fish, vegetables, fruits, wine, tea, and sweets—the abundance of the dinner symbolically reflects family prosperity.
- Gifts for relatives and friends: pastries, health supplements, fruit baskets, New Year paintings and couplets—maintaining social ties and obligations.
- Decorations for farewell and welcome: Spring Festival couplets, “Fu” characters, lanterns, New Year paintings, Chinese knots—transforming the home from “old” to “new.”
The Last-Minute Frenzy on New Year's Eve
In many regions, the morning of New Year's Eve is the final chance to shop before the year begins, commonly called “rushing to the market” or “snatching New Year goods.” The market is bustling; vendors raise prices, buyers are undeterred—this is a culturally accepted “festival premium,” a mutual acknowledgment of the impending sacred time. By noon, shops gradually close, and by evening, almost all businesses are silent except for essential services like pharmacies. This transition from extreme activity to silence vividly demonstrates the temporal order of the New Year.
2. New Year's Day to the Fourth Day: Peak Taboo Period
If pre-New Year shopping frenzy represents the peak of secular time, then from New Year's Day to the fourth day of the lunar year is the period when shopping is most restrained. This restraint is not legally mandated but formed by cultural consensus.
Logic of the Taboo: Merchants' Rest and Cultural Recognition
In traditional Chinese commercial ethics, the period from New Year's Eve afternoon to the fourth day is considered a mandatory annual leave for merchants. Opening a shop during this period could be seen as greedy, disrespectful, or disrupting tradition. Until the 1990s, most urban commercial streets remained fully closed from New Year's Day to the third day, creating a rare city-wide silence.
Sacred Time vs. Secular Trade
The first day emphasizes family rituals: ancestor worship, visiting relatives, and reunion dinners. These activities are inward-focused, emotional, and non-utilitarian. In contrast, shopping is outward-focused, transactional, and profit-driven. Engaging in trade on New Year's Day is believed to disrupt family harmony, placing “profit” above “relationship.” Pausing shopping is both respect for merchants and for the sacredness of the festival.
Financial Flow and Symbolism
Similar to taboos like “do not sweep the floor” or “do not wash clothes” on the first day, spending money on New Year’s Day is considered a symbolic “financial outflow,” potentially bringing misfortune. Merchants also avoid collecting money on the first day, symbolically preventing “loss of wealth” for the year. Settling old accounts before the holiday while postponing new transactions reinforces orderly financial rhythms—a reflection of agrarian ideals of structured income and expenditure.
3. Fifth Day “Breaking Silence” and Reopening: From Calm to Celebration
Sending Away Poverty
On the fifth day of the lunar year, known as “Po Wu,” households perform the first thorough cleaning since the New Year began, disposing of accumulated waste and leftover remnants—called “sending away the poverty.” This complements the first-day taboo of not cleaning, marking the symbolic transition from the New Year’s sacred pause to ordinary life.
Reopening Shops
For traditional shops, reopening on the fifth day is a ceremonial act. Shopkeepers clean and decorate the shop, set up incense altars for deities such as Guan Gong, Zhao Gongming, or the Five Road Gods of Wealth, and perform rituals with firecrackers. The first customer of the day, called the “wealth-bringing guest,” is warmly welcomed, often with discounts or gifts, symbolizing a prosperous start.
Modern Commercial Adjustment
In the 21st century, with large shopping malls, supermarkets, and international retailers, the traditional “fifth-day reopening” is flexible. Many open as early as the second or third day to meet consumer demand, while older traditional shops may maintain the fifth-day ritual. This coexistence illustrates how traditional taboos adapt to modern business rhythms.
4. Industry Exceptions: Who Can Open During New Year?
Full Exceptions
- Food and beverage: Restaurants in tourist cities or transportation hubs often remain open, serving the highest peak of customers.
- Transportation: Railways, airlines, long-distance buses, and urban transit operate continuously for the Spring Festival travel rush (“Chunyun”).
- Medical services: Hospitals and pharmacies are essential and remain open despite traditional taboos.
Partial Exceptions
- Cinemas, theaters, and parks are considered cultural or leisure consumption, exempt from taboos.
- Convenience stores or community supermarkets may operate limited hours to meet urgent needs, though major promotions are usually scheduled after the fifth day.
5. E-Commerce Era: Reframing the Taboo
From the late 20th century onwards, e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo have fundamentally reshaped New Year shopping taboos.
"No Shutdown During Spring Festival"
Since around 2015, major platforms operate continuously from New Year's Eve to the seventh day, using supply chain integration and courier incentives. Consumers can order on New Year’s Day and receive packages within a few days—an unimaginable scenario two decades ago.
Transforming the Taboo
- Spatial shift: Traditional taboos applied to physical shops. E-commerce is a virtual transaction without face-to-face money exchange, reducing psychological impact.
- Time redefinition: Consumers may order before New Year or schedule post-New Year delivery, separating the act of purchasing from the act of paying/receiving.
- Reclassification of needs: Platforms distinguish between "pre-New Year supplies," "entertainment consumption," and "gifts," granting cultural legitimacy to certain purchases.
Generational Negotiation
Young consumers accustomed to e-commerce negotiate with older relatives holding traditional views by strategies such as:
- Not opening packages in front of elders.
- Using work addresses for deliveries instead of home.
- Explaining that orders were placed before the holiday but just arrived.
6. Cultural Philosophy: Shopping as a Rhythmic Regulator
The essence of New Year shopping taboos is not to prohibit consumption but to regulate rhythm. After the pre-New Year shopping frenzy, a short, symbolic pause allows families to focus on reunion and emotional exchange. Shopping taboos, like "do not sweep" or "do not wash clothes," are ritual strategies marking the special time of the New Year.
Traditional closures constitute a cultural contract between merchants and customers. Merchants sacrifice early profits to maintain reputation and community respect; customers accept temporary inconvenience, affirming merchants’ right to rest and the sacredness of the festival. This tacit understanding reflects the cohesion of traditional society.
Facing modern challenges—urbanization, dual-income households, e-commerce—New Year shopping taboos persist in new forms: diversified business operations, selective observance, and family negotiation. This balance of continuity and change exemplifies the vitality of Chinese traditional culture, not as a fossil but as a living river flowing through every generation.
Conclusion: Between Buying and Not Buying, Affirming the Festival
When we stand in line at the supermarket on the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, make final purchases on New Year’s Eve morning, scroll through shopping apps on New Year’s Day without buying, or walk into reopened shops amid firecrackers on the fifth day—we are participating in a grand, silent cultural ritual shared by countless generations.
The ritual has no officiant, script, or sacred text. Its rules are embedded in habits, and its meaning is realized in the delicate balance between buying and abstaining. It teaches us: some days are for acquiring, some days are for pausing; some days belong to markets and commerce, some to family and emotions.
The traditional answer to whether one can shop during the New Year is not "cannot," but rather "there is no need at this time." This "no need" embodies respect for workers’ rest, reverence for the sacredness of the festival, appreciation for family togetherness, and wise regulation of financial rhythms. By clicking "post-New Year delivery" or postponing orders to respect elders, we continue this ancient cultural contract in contemporary language.
Market rhythms, festival resonance—between buying and not buying, Chinese generations preserve a profound understanding of time, wealth, labor, and family ties. This understanding endures far beyond any single taboo, and is priceless in its depth.
