At Spring Festival there are many ways to decorate, but one of the most common is to paste the character ‘fu’, 福, on doors and windows (facing outwards to keep bad luck away and bring good luck to the home). There is evidence that this custom dates back to the Song dynasty (AD 960 – 1279).
福 is pronounced fú and means ‘blessings’. It is traditionally handwritten in black or gold ink by itself on a square piece of red paper with a corner at the top so it resembles a diamond.
You’ll often see the character pasted upside down. This is because 福倒了 fú dào le (upside down fu) has exactly the same pronunciation as 福到了, fú dào le (blessings have arrived). Chinese symbols of good luck commonly involve this kind of wordplay. For example, bats are considered a very lucky animal as the word ‘bat’, 蝠, is also pronounced fú, the same as 福.
Fu are traditionally hung, along with other decorations, on Lunar New Year’s Eve. They can be taken down afterwards, or left up, depending on local traditions. In some places it’s considered unlucky to take them down as it would represent throwing away luck, so they are left up until they fall down.
Take a look at our gallery below to see some more examples of Fu that people have placed on their homes and businesses this Chinese New Year.
See the image below for how to write China’s luckiest word!
Did you decorate with a fu this year? Where did you get yours? What style was it? Let us know in the comments below. Have a question about anything Cultural Keys related? Use the contact form at the bottom of the page. However you choose to get in contact, we always love hearing from you!
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– Cultural Keys
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Cultural Keys helps you access, understand and enjoy life in China through traditional Chinese culture. Click here to read more about Cultural Keys and what we can do for you, your school, company or group to help you get more out of your time in China!