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“Why Do We Do That?” – The Beliefs Behind Some CNY Taboos You’ve Followed Since Childhood

By Says – May Vin Ang

Published

1 month ago

18 January 2020

To ensure a prosperous year ahead, here are some of the reasons and curses behind the Chinese New Year (CNY) taboos that we’ve come to know since young:

1. Do not cut or wash your hair throughout CNY

Image from The Guardian The Guardian

In Mandarin, ‘hair’ (fa, 发) sounds like ‘wealth’ (fa cai, 发财), so absolutely do not cut your hair in the two weeks that is CNY, or you would also be cutting away all the prosperity that the celebration brings.

The taboo also stands that we should not wash our hair. However, it only applies to the first two days of the festive season.

2. Do not break anything ceramic or glass

Image from Bob Smith Industries Bob Smith Industries

This should not only be a Chinese New Year superstition, but maybe a good habit to follow. It goes without saying that we should be more careful while handling tableware when serving guests or during a family dinner!

The taboo goes that when something is broken in the house, bad things may happen to a family member or loved one.

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