As we usher in a new year of prosperity, employers may pay homage to (weird) cultural practices that have been thought to facilitate the accumulation of wealth and prosperity. Think your employers are outright ridiculous for calling in the lion dance troop? Well, we’ve heard worse.
Chinese New Year (CNY) is a time when Chinese folks go into a superstition overdrive. You know the drill: No black clothing, no using of sharp objects and certainly no sweeping of floors.
The workplace, too, isn’t spared from its share of superstitious notions ranging from traditional to out-of-this-world. Here are 8 (of course it has to be 8) eccentric workplace situations that have arisen in the name of auspiciousness and which have managed to both furrow our brows and tickle our insides.
1. “I used to work for a small footwear shop in Bugis Street owned by a highly-superstitious woman. She would force her staff, including the part-timers, to wear at least two red items during retail hours. If not, she would make them wear a scarlet bandanna – this applies even to the men.” – NC, events executive
2. “I’ve never seen anyone do this during CNY except my boss – he dips pomegranate leaves into water and sprinkles it liberally all over the office on Chu Yi.” – AN, forex trader
3. “My boss has a habit of starting work officially on an auspicious date… calculated by a Fengshui master, no less. This special day could be anytime from Chu san (third day of CNY) to Chu wu (fifth day of CNY). That sounds like a great idea, except that we are forced to take leave on those days.” – PF, marketing executive
4. “There’s this ex-company of mine Which Shall Not Be Named that leaves the front reception lights on for the whole duration of CNY. Earth Hour what?!!” – JJ, PR executive
5. “A few of my colleagues would get Fortune cats and leave them on their desk throughout CNY. One important thing to note: It must always face the main door so that it’ll ‘bring’ fortune in.” – KN, client services manager
6. “Every first day of CNY, my boss makes a trip back to the office just to switch the lights on and leave them that way overnight. He says that this will ensure smooth business and prosperity for the rest of the year. And yes, he would head back the next day to turn them off again. Points for effort!” – HT, traffic manager
7. “Not so much of a superstition, but an ex-boss would only have the company CNY dinner on Chu qi (seventh day of CNY), because it is considered to be everyone’s birthday (ren ri).” – QQ, marketing manager
8. “Being in a bank where money is truly the currency of life, a few of my managers with the luxury of having their own office would hang bunches of leeks over their doors as leek sounds like ‘count’ when translated in Mandarin. These vegetables would remain there for an entire year until the next CNY and then be replaced with a fresh batch. Yes, decomposing leeks can smell rather putrid.” – JY, relationship manager
So there you go, our round-up of 8 bizarre Chinese New Year doings that have been thought to facilitate the accumulation of both luck and wealth. As employers, succumbing to superstition may cause quite a bit of inconvenience and elicit disapproving glares from your employees, but keeping by these ‘Must-Dos’ may mysteriously grease the wheels of progress – there is, after all, no harm in doing so.
Happy Chinese New Year, from the team at CareerBuilder Singapore. Huat ah!
