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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Chinese New Year in 2025 falls on Jan 29 (Wednesday). As Singaporeans gear up for the celebrations, these age-old superstitions remind us of the cultural richness and traditions that define the 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. “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. 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 Let’s delve into the intriguing world of Hair Washing Superstitions and explore what to avoid during Chinese New Year to ensure a prosperous start to the lunar new year. As the dawn of Lunar New Year 2025 approaches on Jan. 29, the festive season sets the stage for a 15-day celebration steeped in tradition across China and various Asian nations. Avoid taking medicine on the first day of the Lunar New Year. According to folklore and tradition, it is believed that washing your hair on New Year's Eve may wash away good luck and fortune, leaving you vulnerable to misfortune and bad luck in the coming year. On the first day of Chinese New Year, you must not wash or cut your hair. 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 Don’t Wash Your Hair or Clothes on New Year’s Day. Washing is thought to wash away wealth and blessings. 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. Washing hair on the first day of the New Year is thought to wash away good luck. The Chinese word for hair (发) sounds similar to the word for prosperity (发财), so washing hair is seen as washing away wealth. 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. 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 Subsequently, question is,why can’t you wash your hair on chinese new year? What the tiger means: It signifies bravery and strength. The holiday comes with superstitions, like don’t wash or cut your hair on the first day of the new year, because it is means you are washing your fortune away, CNN Travel wrote.
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