Chinese New Year Couplets (Talismans) & the Kitchen God. A great school Chinese New Year project.

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Talismans 2012

Chinese New Year Couplets (Talismans) & the Kitchen God. A great school Chinese New Year project. ©Originally written by michael Hanna and Revised by Daniel Hanna 2012

“You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.”

“Enjoy the little things, one day you may look back and realise they were the big things”

Chinese New Year Talismans, Couplets and the Kitchen God have always been traditional festive items that are used in homes from every corner of the world as wall decorations due to their auspicious nature. They are usually printed on bright red paper with black ink; it is recommended to hang these Chinese couplets around your home or on your main doors, or you can present them as gifts to send good wishes to your friends and family. These Talisman Couplets and the Kitchen God are a lovely gift to print and give as a present unconditionally to a friend, relative or co-worker on or around Chinese New Year although they can be given and placed at any time of the year.

These two projects below are a great activity for people of all ages, these projects are great for schools as children will especially find this interesting as it teaches them the cultures of another country. If you are a school teacher please feel free to download this file and use it in your classroom. You can download the printer friendly version by the banners at the top and bottom of the page. This can also be saved to your computer hard drive so you can email this to friends and family

The Couplets/Talismans are usually used by most Chinese families and businesses. Whether they are in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpa, Singapore, Australia or the UK, they are very powerful and are said to deter all evil and bring peace, happiness and good fortunes to the occupants if they are displayed in the correct way as shown below. These are particularly good to use in 2012.

Red is a very auspicious colour for the Chinese, it is said to frighten off the New Year monster “Nian” who arrives and destroys crops and homes. “Nian” has three weaknesses: noise, sunshine and the colour red. The Villagers used to build huge fires and would paint their doors to their houses red with red couplets behind the doors; they would set off firecrackers to scare the “Nian” monster away. Red also represents good fortune, fame and riches to the Chinese.

These Couplets/Talismans can be hung outside your home, flat or office beside the main door and also inside in important rooms like the kitchen, bedroom and lounge. They are also hung either side of the cooker or hob. They are normally hung for two months after the New Year (3th February 2012) although a large majority of people leave them all year round for continued good luck.

Printing Instructions

I have copied two versions below. One you can print straight from your colour printer and the other you can colour in yourself or print onto red paper, this is a nice project to give to children and if you are a school teacher please feel free to print this out and use in your class, all we ask is you do not alter or change any of the text on there.

Colour version:

you can print this version straight from your printer in full colour format.

Black & white version:

If you have red card or paper (A4 size) you can print straight onto this or of if you wish to make it a family affair you can get your children or yourself to colour it in. It is very common for the family to get involved and usually the head of the household is given the job of placing the couplets.

Make sure the paper/card or colour you use to colour-in is the same bright red as shown below.

Hanging Instructions:

Cut the couplets in half from top to bottom and place either side of your main doors, you should also place on either side of your cooker or hob.

If you have access to a laminate machine it would be wise to laminate them or at least wrap them in a clear protective cover, this is more important for outside rather than the ones you hang by the cooker as they can become weathered very quickly.

These very effective Couplets/Talismans are traditionally left on the door or cooker area for two months after Chinese New Year although many families leave them all year round for continued good luck but they must be renewed each year so save this document for every year and pass onto as many friends and families as you can as it is considered very auspicious to receive a couplet especially without charge. Do not worry if you lose this document as we post a revised version on the website every year for you all.

2012 Couplets

Red Envelopes (Ang Pow)

Red envelopes also known as “red packets” “Ang Pow” “laisee” or “Hung-Bao” are also an important part of a traditional Chinese New Year. I have written an interesting article on this and also made another project should you wish to make your own. If you follow this link you will find more details. https://www.fengshuiweb.co.uk/advice/angpow2012.htm

2012 B&W Couplets

2012 Colour Couplets

 Kitchen God

The Kitchen God is seen as the guardian of the family hearth (cooker). He was regarded as the inventer of fire, which was necessary for cooking and was also the God of household morals. Traditionally, the Kitchen God left the house on the 23rd of the last month to report to heaven on the behaviours of the family. The family would do everything in their power to impress the Kitchen God so that he reported to heaven with good comments. On the evening of the 23rd, the family would give the Kitchen God a ritualistic goodbye dinner with sweet sticky foods and honey. Some would say that this was to bribe him; others would say that the sticky sweets and honey would seal his mouth from saying bad things about them.

Once they were free from the ever-watchful eyes of the Kitchen God, who was supposed to return on the first day of the New Year, the family now prepared for the upcoming celebrations.

Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, although the Chinese tended more often to give food items, such as fruits and tea. The last days of the old year were also the time to settle accumulated debts.

The image below is the kitchen God with his Consort. It should be printed and placed above the oven or hob whichever is used most. You must renew the image every Chinese New Year.

2012 Kitchen Gods


© Michael Hanna – Feng Shui Store 2012

The below copyright information does not apply to anyone who wants to copy our content or send to a friend or even store on your computer for their own personal use and development. Please feel free to copy and paste or share with as many people you like. The below is intended for the many people who steal our content and claim it to be their own work.

We are more than happy to share our content; all you need to do is give us credit for our hard work and a link back to our website. Contact michael@fengshuiweb.co.uk for more details.

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