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Chinese New Year is just around the corner. To ensure that you start your new year on the right foot, here is a list of things that you should and should not do on Chinese New Year. 1. Washing and cutting hair One of the most well-known beliefs about Chinese New Year is that you should not wash your hair on the first day of the lunar year – in this case, on the 29th – as it could “wash away” the This means washing or cutting it off is seen as “My grandparents used to tell us not to wash hair (hair is 发 in Chinese, which is similar to wealth – 发财) on the first day of CNY as it symbolises ‘washing away your fortune’, which Day 1 is New Years, day 2 is 开年 (Starting of the year), day 7 is 人日 (literally “Human’s 4. Washing or Cutting Hair. Chinese people are prohibited from washing their hair on the first day of the Chinese New Year. This is because the pronunciation and character of the word "hair" in Chinese are similar to "fa" in "facai", which means to become wealthy. In other words, washing hair is seen as washing away wealth. Karen Yee of San Francisco, says she doesn't cut or wash her hair on New Year's Day. "Hair and luck in Chinese are homonyms," she said. "So if you cut or wash your hair on the day of the Lunar New People should not get their hair cut during the first lunar month, for it indicates the death of their uncle (mother's brother), and of course it is a thing you should never do during the Chinese New Year. Although it sounds absurd, people are glad to abide by this tradition. 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 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 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. Doing these things on day one puts you on the wrong foot to start the year. Many Chinese folk beliefs also stem from (near) homonyms in the language. The word for “hair” and “fortune” share the same character (发). Therefore, the logic is that by washing or cutting your hair, you are cutting off good fortune and luck for the rest of 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. Some of For trendy hair colors, cuts, and styling ideas, check out 40 Modern Asian Hairstyles for Women and Girls. And if you want to learn more about cutting your hair according to the lunar cycle, read The Ultimate Guide to Cutting Hair by the Moon. Featured images via @valkyrieyungyee, @kikinicha_, @joyceyeomakeup. It’s to welcome the new year with a smile and let fortune and happiness continue on. The Spring Festival also involves somber ceremonies to wish for a good harvest. Strict rules and restrictions go without saying. To help you know what customs and rules to follow, here are the top 10 taboos to avoid during the Chinese New Year. It is bad luck to cut anything during the 15 day Chinese New Year period, hence the Chinese tend to go for a haircut before the last day of the Lunar year so that they will not look unkempt, and also because a clean, well maintained appearance matters to usher in a prosperous new year. 7. New clothes for the new year Got your new clothes for CNY? The colour code for CNY? Bright is right. Back in the day, colours like black and white were a no-go during Chinese New Year, since they were traditionally associated with funerals. Instead, vibrant hues, especially red, were the preferred choice – it’s the colour of luck and 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’. It is bad luck to cut anything during the 15 day Chinese New Year period, hence the Chinese tend to go for a haircut before the last day of the Lunar year so that they will not look unkempt, and also because a clean, well maintained appearance matters to usher in a prosperous new year. 'Don't wash your hair or get a haircut on New Year's Day.' The language expert explained that this was because the word for hair in Chinese sounded very similar to the word for rich. By cutting your hair, it can symbolise cutting off your prosperity. In normal cases, that’s already a pretty bad situation. Right before Chinese New Year though? It’s not a sign that bodes well for the rest of your year, so let’s stay away from those hair salons during this time. 6. No negative emotions Don't cut or wash hair on Chinese New Year's Day. Do these in the week or so leading up to New Year's Day, but don't do it on the day of as you don't want to wash away or cut short your luck! The
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