Opening Our New House - 11th Mar 2006

Today is an auspicious day for us to open our new house and we finally had a chance to step into our house and see how is it like! We follow the below Open House Ritual cuz we hope to have a good start for this important beginning of our life chapter. Its quite fun too! hee...

Open House Ritual 开屋仪式

Things to bring on Opening House Day:

A Pineapple with leaves on top of the tip
A small packet of Rice (uncooked)
A bit of salt (half of those small packets)
A packet of normal Chinese tea leaves
A new plastic bowl (Red colour) small and easy to use to mix above items.
A Huat Kueh 发糕
5 Red apples
A packet of sweets

Instructions:

Open your door at the auspicious hour of the day.

Mix the small packet of rice with the Chinese tea leaves and salt. Place it all in a new Red plastic bowl. As you open the door at the auspicious timing, take a handful of the mixed rice, salt, tea leaves and throw it into your house three times before you step in. As you throw the rice, you shout out "Huat ah, Huat ah, Huat ah"

Remember, as you or your spouse steps in for the first time after throwing the rice 3 times from outside the main door (for female right leg enter first, for male left leg enter first)

Then your partner can place the pineapple on the floor starting from the main door and start to roll the pineapple into the house and say "Ong Ong Lai Lai" “旺旺来来”Roll it all over the place and place it at a corner of the living room. Keep it there for a few days, until the pineapple has juice coming out, then you dispose it.

As your partner roll the pineapple, you will continue to throw the remaining rice and tea leaves at all corners of your house. Open all the windows and leave the house (Don't forget to lock the door). Come back after an hour or two. (Purpose is to clear the stale air).

If you don’t have the time, at least you open all the windows before you continue to throw the remaining rice in the house.

Place the Huat Kueh, 5 Red apples and packet of sweets at the kitchen. Remember to bring home to eat when you leave. The Huat Kueh symbolizes “Huat”, the apples symbolize Peace and the sweets symbolize Sweet Future. You can leave the rice, salt, leaves on the floor; the renovation contractors will clear it when they start renovation.