Dusting the house in preparation for the Chinese New Year is an annual ritual. In the old days, Mum used to consult the geomancer and ask him to choose a "good" day for dusting the house. A 'good" day (according to the Chinese calendar) is one that is full of good meanings and vibrations. Mum used to buy a bunch of bamboo leaves and tie them to a long bamboo pole, then she'll use this to sweep away all the dirt from the ceilings and walls. Bamboo symbolises longevity and though very few people use this method now, the market still sells bamboo leaves but bamboo poles are unfortunately hard to find these days . So to do this job now, I opted for a feather duster tied to a long plastic pole! Mum would recoil in horror if she saw it but I've no choice. Sometimes I'm tempted to shut the house and go off somewhere on holiday to escape this drudgery!
Bamboo leaves sold in the market
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