Decorations on sale in Beijing amid preparations for the Chinese New Year festivities, which begin next Tuesday. He was also carrying a square piece of red paper with a single character 福 (fú), meaning good fortune, to hang on the door itself. As we were fixing the final element of decoration, the fú, to the door, Lei suggested that I turn it upside down. This is a common practice based on a pun that ends up meaning that good fortune arrives at your home. All this talk of good fortune made me wonder how soon I could take the decorations down without attracting bad luck.

Source: The Irish Times February 13, 2026 14:58 UTC