# Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024 > [!cite] > Song, Sophie. ‘Ben Ming Nian: Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’. Chinese New Year. Last updated 27 September 2024, https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/ben-ming-nian/. --- ‘If it is your zodiac year, it will also be your year of Fan Tai Sui—offending the God of Tai Sui. To turn this around, you might want to set up a shrine in your house and ask for their forgiveness, even before anything happens. Each Tai Sui favors a direction, therefore, that will be your best bet for placing the shrine. In 2021, you’ll want to place the shrine in the northeast corner of your house, and avoid constructions and such activities that might disturb Tai Sui’s peace.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ^eefb8c ‘Similarly, it is considered irreverent to look directly at Tai Sui. Therefore, in your Ben Ming Nian, it is advised that you place the beds, desks, couches and such in your house, so that they face away from the direction favored by Tai Sui. This means that in 2021, you’d do best to face the southwest. This will not only avoid angering Tai Sui, but may even convince them to bless you with some extra good fortune. This is an important idea in the Chinese art of Feng Shui.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ‘You could also wear a pendant or a bracelet bearing a talisman of your zodiac animal, or the mythical creature of Pixiu, which is believed to bring the wearer wealth. Chinese people will usually choose to wear talismans made of jade, because they believe the stone to possess the power to draw out impurities from your body—including any blight of ill fortune.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ‘Red is a favorite color of the Chinese because it signifies prosperity and bliss. It is worn for weddings, birthdays and major holidays in China. Since your Ben Ming Nian is not bringing you good tidings, you could wear red—for example, a red belt or a red scarf—for a bit of extra luck. In addition, you can also wear the talisman of your choice on a red string. Chinese people will also usually have a set of red underwear and red socks ready to put on for the lunar new year, especially if it is your Ben Ming Nian, to bind yourself to good fortune.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ‘By the way, it’s important to note that zodiac talismans and red clothes are most effective when they are gifts from your close friends and family, instead of purchased by yourself. This is because in gifting you with these red items, your loved ones are giving you pieces of their own luck, which can do wonders to “suppress” any ill omens in your year of disrupted luck.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ^e66ab4 ‘Unfortunately, being in your Ben Ming Nian is not an occasion for celebration, but traditionally believed to be a year of setbacks and delays at best and disasters at worst. This is because in addition to the zodiac animal, each year also has a governing god, called the God of “Tai Sui” in Chinese. To understand this peculiarity, you might consider that back in the days of emperors, it was considered taboo to share the same name as the emperor—so it isn’t surprising that the God of the Tai Sui might not look kindly upon your sharing their zodiac!’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ^972586 ‘According to folklore, people in their Ben Ming Nian are most susceptible to incurring the wrath of Tai Sui for that year, which could lead to tricky luck in everything you do even in the most optimistic interpretation. Some believe worse could befall those in their Ben Ming Nian. In love, for example, tradition dictates that you’d do best to avoid getting married or engaged in these years, otherwise the marriage may not last.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ^433ddf ‘In terms of work, switching jobs or starting businesses in Ben Ming Nian could lead you to severe financial difficulties. Even other major ventures like moving house, traveling great distances and such are generally advised against. Basically, it is best to lay low on Ben Ming Nian and try to fly under the radar of Tai Sui to avoid serious calamity.’ [[Song, ‘Why Your Zodiac Year is Bad Luck’, 2024|(Song 2024e)]] ^08779a