Shift in day Chinese Custom 华人习俗

It is imperative to choose an auspicious date and time 吉日 良辰 to move into your new home. The traditional method is to follow the Chinese almanac (黄历) dates that are compatible with occupants’ bazi and Home Destiny.

It is listed as 入伙 for brand new house and resale 移徙. Other formulas to choose an auspicious date if you are NOT in a hurry are 七政四余 太阳到山到向 三元紫白 奇门遁甲 六壬 三元  太乙神数 etc

Chinese Cultural Ritual For Moving Into Your New Home

The procedure below is a common Chinese “tradition or custom” on the day of move in. You can choose to follow all or part of. 

1st, family member must stay overnight for the first time. It does not matter if some of your family members are overseas or schooling and can’t make it for the day & time.

2nd, the significance to use an  “auspicious starting date & time” is “symbolic” to good fortune 好意头, 兆头, 彩头.

In the past, fire crackers and charcoal stove were used to commemorate the shift in day. Here is the simplified version to give you peace of mind.

Prior to Shift In Day

All the “heavy lifting” such as bed, furniture, refrigerator, sofa set, TV console can be install or transported to your new home prior to the official shift in date & time.

安床 Bed installation for newly wed couples

For those who wanted install “安床 new bed” (newly wed) you can follow the delivery timing prior to shifting in but place the bed slanted in the master room. Then on the given date and time by your feng shui master place it properly against the wall.

*For those with religion, you can set up the altar stand (but not lighted up) cover your deity with a red cloth prior to day of move in. On the auspicious shift in day and time unveil and follow your religious beliefs such as burning of joss stick, offerings, etc.

Any day before the shift in, you can consider sprinkling $38, $68 or $88 in $1 coins around your house. You can choose any amount or use your own lucky number if you prefer.

Chinese Custom and Procedure on Shift in day  搬家

1. Wear something new as if it is the 1st lunar day of Chinese New Year.
2. Paste one pair of red 对联 (dui lian) Chinese scrolls on each side of the door. You can remove this after staying in your new house for 7 days. This is believed to ward off evil spirits 僻邪驱鬼.
3. The most senior member of house should lead and enter the house first, this is a form of respect.
4. Family members to carry items symbolic to good fortune when entering new house, some examples:

• daddy carry money in a red packet or anything that is symbolic to wealth.
• mummy bring small quantities of 米 油 盐 酱 醋 茶 rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea leave omit the  柴 charcoal to signify abundance.
• kids who are schooling can carry 葱蒜 spring onion & garlic or 4 calligraphy brushes.
• singles who wish to get married can carry a red string.

5. After you entered, pick up the 1 dollar coins (that you sprinkle prior to shift in) put inside a red packet or box and place it under your mattress. This signifies “财源广进” ushering wealth into your house.

Most Important Thing to Do  – Cook a Meal

You can ignore some or all the Chinese Custom but the most important thing to do at the auspicious hour and date is to boil water 开炉 (kai lu), cook a meal with rice, vegetable, meat (exception of vegetarian/vegan) & consume it on the specified date/time, to earmark the shift 入伙/移徙 occasion using your new stove. 

It must fall within auspicious timing given by your feng shui master. The “boiling of water”  and “cooking a meal” technically making it complete. It signifies your home is flourishing 风生水起. The unpacking of things can do so after this.

6. Activate all electricity, open windows, fan, lighting and appliances. Switching on all the home lightings is symbolic to bringing in the “charcoal stove” because light is “fire” element.  Chinese believed that “fire” can dispel negative energies.

7. Before shift in day, likely your new bed/mattress would have been delivered to your home already. Leave the mattress in a vertical position (whether length or breadth lean against the floor doesn’t matter). Then on the auspicious day & hour you can put the mattress properly 安床. This is the simplest bed installation method.

*it does not matter if you needed more than 2 hours to finish the “chinese custom” what matters is the starting time chosen by your feng shui master

*** To enhance “yang energy 阳气 (particulary old house), you can use this day as “house warming” inviting your friends or relatives (particularly males) to enhance it further. Request them to bring fruits and sweets, quantities doesn’t matter.

**woman who are pregnant should not shift house

Master Chan 曾风水命理术数 
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