Lunar New Year this year falls tomorrow, 17 February, but according to Chinese feng shui tradition, you can prepare as early as now, the Lunar New Year eve, to bolster your luck.
Geomancer or feng shui master Patrick Fernandez of Yin and Yang Shop of Harmony, in an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE during New World Makati’s recent launch of its new Lunar New Year menu at its luxury Chinese dining concept Jasmine, enumerated the things you can do on Lunar New Year eve.
“Put fresh flowers in your home or office… You can also buy new clothes to wear and then have lucky food prepared. And then on the day (of Lunar New Year) itself, you can give away angpao (lucky red envelopes) to attract more prosperity,” he advised.
For more prosperity, feng shui expert Jen Yu Chua told DAILY TRIBUNE that one preparation people can do is to set up a prosperity basket.
Chua’s Dragon Phoenix Enterprises in Binondo, the world’s oldest and biggest shop in Chinatown located in Manila, designed a prosperity pouch-style basket for the Year of the Fire Horse. The pouch, said Chua, has a golden image of the horse as cover, signifying the leading animal sign of the year.
“But this prosperity basket, it has a little ritual that we need to do. So we prepare this on 16 February, on the dining table, to welcome the Chinese year of 17 February,” she said.
First, one should fill the basket with rice grains as a “symbol of strong foundation” of other charms inside the basket. The rice grains would enhance the energy and vibrations of the charms, Yu said.
On top of the rice grains, lucky charms are put on top. The first charm to put is the victory banner.
“For this 2026, the success star is very good. That means there will be high career opportunity. So we have the victory banner for enhancing success and winning power,” Yu elaborated.
The second charm to put into the basket is the red fan for “warding off negativity” like envy, backstabbing and “material energies.”
“So, the red fan can wash or shoo away those bad energies,” Yu claimed.
Also to be included in the basket is blue string with pearl.
“Since 2026 is a fire horse, that’s double element of fire, the energy is too much or too intense. So, we have the blue string with pearl to balance the element energy,” Yu said.
The blue string with pearl can also be worn as a bracelet on the left wrist as an “enhancement” for the year, she noted.
“Actually, the prosperity basket has many lucky charms inside. You can also put in angpao with money to enhance good fortune for 2026. But the ritual here is to keep this basket for nine days. After nine days, you will open it to take out the rice grains and cook it together with your family and/or friends. So, you can also enjoy the vibration and energy of the charms to enhance good luck and good fortune, protection and harmony in the family; love and also success.”