Spring Cleaning Tradition and Origin
Yes, the Spring Equinox is approaching, and all of us are busy with Spring Cleaning, as it is so-termed. What is Spring Cleaning and how did it come about?
No one knows where exactly it originated from - it is believed to have derived from Persian's "shaking the house" practice on the first day of a brand new year, or the Jewish before the "Passover" and springtime feast.
Basically, heavy and thorough cleaning of the homes are being conducted during this period, including discarding of old stuffs. Especially for countries with cold climates, such as in Northern America and European regions - where the houses are cleaned in spring to rid the musti-ness and dust caused by winter's high winds and dank.
In Greece, the Clean Week is set aside for cleaning to welcome the Great Lent (or Julian New Year) in April.
Now, for the Chinese, this spring cleaning is usually done in the first two months every year, to welcome the Lunar New Year.
Physical Cleaning
Tiring as it may be, it is an essential move, as families work hard together to scrub, dust, mop, sweep, wipe and re-organize their homes, repainting or touching up if need be. As laborious as the tasks may be, the final results of seeing a sparkling, shiny home is often rewarding, and the family members grow closer as they work together to clean their beloved homes.
The homes are now ready to welcome guests over for visitations, and for the home-owners to decorate it anyway as they please.
These days, many people engage part-time maids or cleaning teams to take care of the spring cleaning (for those who do not already have maids). The idea sounds appealing, but more suited for those who do not have much stuff to toss out, I believe?
Emotional Cleaning
Yes, leading from the point above, I am a sentimental junkie basically. Certain things may be in the way, and messing up the rooms etc, but I cannot bear to discard them due to sentimental value.
I have alot of ornaments, clothes, trinkets, old letters, books etc that I no longer use, wear or read. However, I could not throw them away as I would not know their fate after they leave my care. I always harbour the believe that someday, I would still take these old letters or books out to read; someday, I will be needing this piece of clothing; someday, I would be looking for that particular souveinir...
Yet, some of these things, if they are mysteriously or accidentally misplaced, never to be found again - I don't find myself feeling sorrowful or even sad about them... I guess I need to learn the art of discarding everything that no longer serves any practical purpose , for they're taking up unnecessary space for sure.
Plus, I collect everything from coins to stamps to books to perfume bottles to CD albums, so this makes my belongings bulkier than the norm.
But yes, discard, I shall - dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Sometimes, when the old ones don't go, the new ones cannot enter. It may be painful and difficult letting go, but it is a necessary evil, for our own well-being.
Spiritual Cleaning
Yes, in accordance to the above, fresh stuff such as positive energies cannot enter if we do not rid the old, negative ones.
Decluttering is always therapeutic and good for geomancy's purpose - or so believed. Once in a while, we need to re-organize and clean our homes and offices to bring fresh energies of wealth, prosperity and well-being to ourselves. When our energies are being blocked, we feel burdened and overwhelmed. In order to free ourselves, we declutter and rebalance the feeling through a reorganization of our immediate surroundings.
Let go of the unnecessary, undeserving baggages and move on to a brand new year, with a brand new look to our surroundings. Re-color the walls or change the carpetings after spring cleaning, if need be.
The sparkling clean "new look" alone is fulfilling and brings a smile to one's face, and one's mood become a lot better, too.
So, have fun spring cleaning. May this decluttering and cleaning bring about cleansing, healing and good new things be able to flow in! Have fun preparing for Lunar New Year.
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