As we prepare to welcome in the Lunar New Year – 2026 marks the year of the fire horse – experts recommend following certain traditions to bring health, happiness, and good fortune for the months ahead. One such tradition involves opening your windows and doors at midnight as the New Year arrives, to release stagnant energy and welcome in good luck.
Opening your windows and doors at midnight is one of the many ways to use Feng Shui in the home in the Year of the Horse, which also include rolling oranges through your entryway, and placing and filling a prosperity bowl. We're even taking inspiration from the year of the fire horse into our homes with equestrian-inspired decor.
Here's how to try this ritual of opening your windows and doors at midnight, and more about what it means in Chinese tradition, as well as practical considerations to bear in mind, according to the experts. Plus, I've rounded up some buys believed to bring good luck and positive energy into your home for the Lunar New Year.
Why Open Windows and Doors at Lunar New Year?
According to Chinese tradition, opening your doors and windows is a way of releasing any bad or negative energy and allowing positive, new energy – or 'qi', as it's called in Feng Shui – into your home.
Lenny Kharitonov, CEO of interiors store, Emma Mason, who incorporates Feng Shui principles into furniture layouts for clients, adds: 'This tradition rests on the Feng Shui view that doors and windows are the 'mouths' of qi, and midnight marks a clean handover from the old year to the new. By opening them at the year’s first moment, you symbolically let stale, unlucky energy leave and invite fresh, auspicious qi and prosperity in, often linked to welcoming the God of Wealth. Many people pair the opening with switching on all the lights and speaking an auspicious phrase to make the welcome clear.'
Are There Any Preparations to Make or Practical Concerns to Think About?
Windows and doorways are some of the key areas to keep clean ahead of the Feng Shui New Year, and the same applies to the Lunar New Year. Plus, you might also want to bear in mind security and practicality considerations before throwing open your windows and doors at night.
Blanca Sanchez, founder and designer at Halo Design Interiors, suggests: 'Keep the front entry tidy, well lit, and unobstructed. At midnight, switch on the lights, open the front door, and at least one window (ideally opposite) to create a gentle cross‑breeze. If you live in a flat or have security or pet concerns, crack the door on the latch and open a window safely with a restrictor to achieve the same intent. Extinguish candles and check that curtains or blinds are clear of the opening so nothing snags or becomes a hazard.'
Lenny adds: 'Prepare the flow first, then open briefly at midnight. Earlier in the evening, pull bulky furniture slightly back from doors and windows, clear pathways, secure lightweight décor, and finish any sweeping so you’re not tidying away new good luck after midnight.'
How Long Should You Keep Windows and Doors Open?
When it's cold outside, as it usually is in February, keeping the doors and windows open for too long may feel a little impractical. But don't worry. You only need to try this for a short time to reap the benefits, and there's no set amount of time.
Blanca recommends: 'Open just long enough to feel a distinct change in the air. In winter, one to three minutes is usually ample, while in milder weather, you can extend to five to ten minutes if it’s comfortable. Close once you notice a fresh draft and a lift in the room’s feel rather than chasing a strong gust.'
What Effect Does Opening Windows and Doors at Lunar New Year Have?
Blanca says: 'People value the sense of an energetic reset and the intention of welcoming prosperity, opportunity, and smooth relationships into the home. Within the Feng Shui framework, it’s believed to invite auspicious qi and the favour of wealth energies at the most potent moment of the year.'
But, as well as the traditional Chinese beliefs, there's also a psychological answer as to why this ritual can help us make a fresh start. Dr Deborah Gilman, Owner and Psychologist at Fox Chapel Psychological Services in Pennsylvania, explains: 'Humans love a fresh start. We always have. Opening windows and doors for Lunar New Year isn’t just tradition or symbolism – it taps into something deeply psychological: we want to feel like we can reset, breathe again, and move forward.'
It comes down to taking control, Dr Gilman says: 'From a brain perspective, rituals like this actually calm us. When life feels chaotic or uncertain, small intentional actions – cleaning, opening space, letting in fresh air – give us a sense of control. That lowers stress hormones and helps us feel more grounded, and as though we're airing out last year's emotional baggage.'
She adds: 'My Favorite part comes down to connection. Cultural rituals remind us we belong somewhere and that shared meaning is incredibly regulating emotionally.'
Buys to Bring Good Luck for the Chinese New Year
Chinese money plants are believed to be lucky, which is why they make a wonderful addition to your home as we prepare to welcome in the Lunar New Year, or as a gift to a friend or relative who follows Chinese traditions.
With the year of the fire horse upon us, gifts depicting the Chinese zodiac symbols are thought to be auspicious. This serving platter is a lovely nod to the tradition whilst you could also use it year round.
Gifting money in a red envelope for the Lunar New Year is a popular ritual thought to bestow good luck and blessings on the recipient. These pretty envelopes feature a horse motif for this year's zodiac symbol.
This elegant, decorative bowl depicting Chinese symbols is ideal to use as a prosperity bowl. Fill it with coins, citrus fruits, and crystals to bring wealth and abundance for the year ahead.
Decorate your home with these lucky charms depicting the fire horse – the Chinese zodiac symbol for this Lunar New Year. They also make lovely gifts, to attach to a red envelope or lucky plant.
This candy tasting collection box is a wonderful gift, inspired by the 12 Chinese zodiac symbols, and contains a mix of confectionary such as lucky stars, good fortune bears and propserous pineapples.
Looking for other ways to wish prosperity and good fortune to your friends and family this Lunar New Year? Send or gift them a bouquet of lucky cut flowers in the year of the fire horse.
