Welcome, Year of the Monkey.

The Chinese Lunar New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, where families and friends exchange gifts and make wishes for prosperity, fortune, luck and happiness as well as sweep away bad spirits.

Chinese tradition is riddled with superstition about the days preceding the Lantern Festival, which is the 15th day of the new year.

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Here are some of the things to do and not to do to welcome the prosperous year.

Feng shui experts suggest that people should clean their houses thoroughly to sweep away evil spirits and misfortune and to start the New Year afresh. Chances of bad luck is higher for those who are born in the year of the monkey (in career and wealth specifically) and tigers (prone to accidents). While lucky signs are the dragon and rat. 

Homes should be adorned with red lanterns with the luck character "Fu" imprinted. Also, hang or paste spring festival couplets in red paper with black or gold calligraphy characters written on it. Daphne Lowe Kelley, Chinese Heritage Association of Australia former head, encouraged celebrating together as a family to see out the old year. 

People are also encouraged to wear new clothes, especially those with bright and happy colors. Because red symbolizes prosperity, people born in the year of the monkey are encouraged to wear red including red underwear. Married couples are also advised to hand out red packets or "hongbao" containing money, coins and notes. 

While things to avoid include using or giving sharp objects in three days or so; wearing black or white, which are customarily used in mourning; eating rice porridge or congee, as it indicates poverty; sweeping the house on New Year's Day to avoid sweeping good fortune away; swearing or using foul languages; and allowing babies to cry as their sound could bring bad luck.

Hong Kong feng shui master Louis Wong has predicted volatile market, fire, particularly forest fire, and disease, affecting Southeast Asia this year. He further warned everyone to be careful with the Zika virus.

As for relationships, Wong advised putting pink and purple crystal on the woman's and man's side of the bedroom, respectively. Firecrackers behind the door is also suggested to prevent fights and arguments.

Having a baby this year is thought to be better than last year, which was the Year of the Sheep. Children born in the previous year are thought to be more likely to become followers than leaders. Some reports linked a drop of birth rates to the year of the sheep, with only 16.55 million recorded births compared with 16.87 million in 2014. 

TagsChinese New Year, Year of the Monkey, Lunar New Year, Spring festival, Lantern Festival