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Chinese New Year Guide: the don'ts in CNY

In Chinese tradition, Chinese New Year is the best moment to have a good start by sweeping away the bad and summon the good things. There are quite some traditions to follow to draw the luck, and at the same time there are traditions which people should avoid to do, so they won’t summon the bad things.


1. Open red pocket right after receiving it

Traditionally when Chinese people receive a gift, it is impolite to open it right after in front of the giver (this is commonly not considered as impolite in Hong Kong nowadays). However still no one would open red pockets and check how much is inside in front of people.


2. Say anything bad

Foul languages, or anything related to "death".


3. Wash your hair

Yup. You read it right. Do not wash your hair on the first day of Chinese New Year. It is because "hair" and "rich" share the same pronunciation in Cantonese, so some old Chinese think that washing hair on the first day of Chinese New Year would wash away the luck of wealth. Are you superstictious enough to follow this?


4. Buy shoes


"Shoe" and "sigh" share the same pronunciation in Cantonese. Therefore some old Chinese do not like to buy shoes during Chinese New Year (some say this applies in the first month in Chinese calendar) because it may draw more "sigh".


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