In Chinese culture, the custom of picking auspicious days for significant events is called zaak jat in Cantonese and ze ji in Mandarin, and picking the right date and time to return to work after the Lunar New Year holiday is a good example of this traditional practice.
The Spring Festival break has historically lasted a couple of weeks, but these days it is not uncommon for businesses to open and workers to return after a three-day break, as seen in Hong Kong. In 2026, the fourth day of the first month of the Year of the Fire Horse falls on a Friday, but is it the best day to report back to work?
According to Hong Kong feng shui master Li Kui-ming, February 20 is an auspicious day to go back to work, ushering in a smooth and successful year ahead.
The best time to start the working day is 7am to 9am, the next best is 11am to 1pm. However, this is not a good day for those born in the Year of the Sheep to return to work. Luckily, there are other options for them.This year, February 20 is an auspicious day to go back to work for most. Photo: Getty Images
The consensus among feng shui masters is that February 25, March 3 and March 5 are, in fact, the best days to boot up the work computer to call business clients.
