Should you wear red or beige on the full moon day of Chap Goh Meh? That is not the question.

Content creator Rachel(@foodierrachel) mentions in a reel, “2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, so if you wear red, it’s almost like you are adding gasoline to the fire… to stay lucky this year, it is recommended to wear earth or wood colours ”. 

On the flip side is content creator Janet Lin(@janetlinxo): “The people who are telling you not to wear red are gatekeeping the good luck for themselves…red has been the most auspicious and traditional colour of Chinese New Year, and one zodiac cycle is not changing that”. 

This interesting shift away from the customary red towards its toned-down cousins, beige and brown, has been a thing on social media.

Traditionally, red has been the chosen colour to symbolise vitality, joy and courage to step forward into the new annual cycle. So why the sudden movement towards beige and brown? Incidentally, in the Five Element Cycle, Fire produces Earth. In an already strong Fire year, supporters of beige and brown tones might see them as grounding colours that calm intense feelings. 

But why not have your cake and eat it too: get prosperous and remain grounded. “We can still wear red on Chinese New Year day and during the celebrations to warrant the extra good luck, but throughout the year is when wearing calming earth tones,” says content creator, Sophia Hu(@sopheats). 

In the end, it’s a personal choice based on how you feel. “In authentic Chinese Metaphysics, there is no such thing as a lucky colour,” says Dato’ Joey Yap. When you feel good, your presence shapes how you show up during special occasions.

Beige may yet be the colour of the year that is already anything but calm. But no, it’s not about the cycles of heaven.

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