By Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines–The last shingle’s in place, the dotted line has been signed and the lights are working. Time to move in! But before you do, here are a few reminders from the old folks on how to bring in good vibes into your threshold. Some might sound downright silly or absurd, but as the pragmatic might shrug, better safe…

1. Time your moving-in day on a new moon when it is waxing towards fullness. That’s supposed to bring in burgeoning luck and wealth.

2. Be sure to be in your new home before the sun rises as this signifies a bright new beginning.

3. Before bringing in your furniture and other stuff, march into your new household with the requisite symbols of plenty: rice, sugar, salt, water, oil and the Holy Family. Others say that any religious image would do as well. Some also suggest taping red envelopes with cash on the rice containers to further attract good fortune.

4. To establish ownership of the place, some feng shui experts suggest placing nine orange, lemon or lime skins in a bowl or pail. Fill the container with water and splash the citrus water on all floors, cleansing the place of bad chi and evil spirts.

5. For the same reason, some folk suggest turning up the radio full blast on the first day to let the spirits know that you are now the owner of the place. Walk through each room to establish your presence.

6. Another way to claim ownership is to shine a flashlight on all corners of your closets. This, according to some people, should guide the good spirits from your old place into your new abode.

7. After moving into a new house, avoid sleeping on an old bed, goes another belief. If a new bed sounds like an unnecessary expense, you can just buy new sheets and a bedspread to simulate the feeling of freshness. Anxious homeowners sometimes brush each bed with a new broom just to make sure that bad spirits are driven off.

8. A similar ritual of cleansing the house of bad spirits involves a Japanese ritual of burning incense and going around the house while waving the now smoke-filled incense burner.

9. To bring continued prosperity to homeowners, coins are usually placed on top of house posts and cabinets.

10. Feasting on a whole chicken as a first meal in the new home is supposed to bring luck, prosperity and family togetherness. Chuchie Quevedo-See