Click to see What to Eat at Chinese New Year to Bring Good Luck? 5. Avoid washing hair and getting a haircut. Hair must not be washed on Chinese New Year's Day. In Mandarin, hair (发, fa) has the same pronunciation (and indeed is the same character) as fa in facai (发财), which means 'to become wealthy'. Therefore, it is seen as not a good In Chinese New Year, people around the world engage in various customs and traditions to ring in the new year with prosperity and good fortune. However, among the many superstitions surrounding New Year's Eve, one question that often arises is whether it is bad luck to wash your hair on this auspicious night. 6. DON’T wash or cut your hair Don’t wash or cut your hair on the first day of Chinese New Year (Photography: Element5 Digital via Pexels) On the first day of Chinese New Year, you must not wash or cut your hair. In Cantonese, hair is pronounced as faat (髮), which is the same as the word for “getting rich” (發). If you wash your hair “On the first two days of the New Year, we do not wash our hair as it will wash away the good luck. In the first 15 days, we can wash our hair once with pomelo leaves, then washing hair becomes normal again. We just have to avoid days 1,2,7, and 15,” Debbie explains. “Lunar New Year celebrations last 15 days, and each day is special. Sweep, mop, scrub, dust, vacuum, steam – do anything and everything to make sure your home is spick and span BEFORE the stroke of midnight on Lunar New Year eve, February 11. (See below for more KUALA LUMPUR: Many are familiar with the traditional taboos of Chinese New Year, such as not sweeping the house on the first day and not wearing black or white clothes during the celebration. People avoid washing their hair on Lunar New Year because it’s believed to wash away good fortune. This belief stems from a linguistic similarity in Mandarin, with the word for hair (fa, 发) sharing both the same pronunciation and first character of the word for fortune (facai, 发财). That has evolved over the years into the superstition 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger with Lunar New Year’s Day falling on February 1. The festival, and therefore many of the superstitions, will last for 15 days. 恭禧发财 / Gong hay fat choy! “On the first two days of the New Year, we do not wash our hair as it will wash away the good luck. In the first 15 days, we can wash our hair once with pomelo leaves, then washing hair becomes normal again. We just have to avoid days 1,2,7, and 15,” Debbie explains. “Lunar New Year celebrations last 15 days, and each day is special. “My grandparents used to tell us not to wash hair on the first day of CNY as it symbolises ‘washing away your fortune’,” shares one Singaporean Chinese New Year in 2025 falls on Jan 29 This year, Chinese New Year begins on Wednesday, January 29. Those who celebrate will be entering the year of the snake. Just like with any holiday, traditions abound for Chinese New Year. Washing your hair on the first and second day of the new year is believed to be bad luck – it symbolises washing away your fortune. Not a very auspicious start to 2024! The same goes for cutting your hair. Understanding Chinese New Year Superstitions. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in Chinese culture. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is a time for family reunions, feasting, and observing various traditions. Don’t Wash Your Hair or Clothes on New Year’s Day. Washing is thought to wash away wealth and blessings. Postpone laundry and hair-washing until after the first day. By following these traditions and avoiding the taboos, you can usher in a year full of prosperity, happiness, and good luck. Wishing you a joyous and auspicious Chinese New Some of those Chinese New Year taboos will only sustain for first few days of the festival, while others may be kept till the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, or even for a whole month. Hereunder are 16 things you should never do during the Chinese New Year. Wash or cut your hair The first character in the Chinese word for prosper is the same as the Chinese character for hair. This means that washing or cutting it off is regarded as washing your fortune away, reducing your chances of prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. Yes, that’s right, one does not simply wash their hair or take a shower on the day of Chinese New Year as cleaning yourself on the day is seen as washing away good fortune. Though a thorough scrub of the hair and body is highly encouraged prior in order to rinse off any bad luck. Style Very Superstitious: The Do’s and Don’ts of Chinese New Year Justin Wong on January 26, 2017 . Every culture has their own superstitions: Americans believe it’s bad luck if you cross paths with a black cat, Japanese avoid taking pictures in groups of three because it brings misfortune — even death — upon the individual in the middle, and Greeks throw salt over their left Wash or cut your hair Leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year. The Chinese character for hair is the same first character in the word for prosper. This means washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away and dramatically reduces chances of prosperity in the year ahead. Can you wash your hair on New Year’s Eve? Can I wash my hair on New Year’s? According to many cultures, washing your hair on New Year’s is believed to wash away all your luck, so it is better to avoid washing anything on the holiday to be safe. Should you do washing on New Can you wash your hair on New Year’s Eve? Read More »
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