What Not to Do on Chinese New Year: 15 Taboos That Could Ruin Your Luck

With Chinese New Year set to begin on 17 February, marking the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse, communities around the world are readying for 15 days of celebration. But for those observing traditions, a roster of Chinese New Year taboos serves as a quiet reminder: certain routines, if indulged, might quietly undermine the luck one hopes to cultivate.

These superstitions, passed down through generations, cover everything from household chores to table talk. Heeding them, even loosely, aligns with the festival's ethos of renewal and caution.

Common Chinese New Year Taboos Around the Home

The first day demands a pause on practicalities. Sweeping the floor or disposing of rubbish is widely avoided, the act seen as brushing good fortune out with the dust. Similarly, washing clothes or hair is frowned upon; water represents wealth, and letting it flow away risks draining prosperity for the year ahead.

Using scissors, knives or even needles falls into the same bracket—sharp edges are thought to invite sharp words and family friction. Haircuts are another no-go, a custom linked to preserving relatives' longevity, particularly uncles on the mother's side. Chopping wood or delving into detailed budgeting might echo too closely with 'wealth' in sound or spirit, potentially lopping off financial gains.

Reflecting this, one X user recently advised followers to forgo nail or hair trimming in the opening ten days, describing it as 'incredibly bad luck.' Such tips, shared online amid pre-festival buzz, highlight how these rules adapt to modern sharing.

Interactions and Utterances to Temper

Conversation requires care during the Spring Festival. Words evoking death, illness or poverty are taboo, replaced by gentler phrases to keep negativity at bay—hardly a surprise in a season built on optimism. Crying or quarrelling, above all from children, is discouraged, as it casts a shadow over the household's health and harmony. Calling someone by name to rouse them from sleep is equally unwise, implying a year of relentless prodding at duties.

Money matters merit mention: lending or borrowing on day one is believed to entangle finances unfavourably, while chasing debts invites scarcity in return. 'What you do then will affect your luck in the coming year,' as one cultural overview puts it, capturing the period's pivotal weight.

Married daughters traditionally postpone visits to their parents' home until the second day, lest they unwittingly bring economic strain. Hospital trips or medicine-taking are limited to emergencies, for fear of extending ailments. Afternoon naps, meanwhile, risk fostering laziness through the seasons—not ideal when guests might call.

Mealtime Manners and Modest Attire

The opening meal sets a subtle standard. Porridge for breakfast is passed over, its simplicity signalling straitened circumstances, while meat is set aside out of deference to deities' preferences. Fish or tofu can join the exclusions in some households, their abundance potentially flipping to lack. Urging seconds on the full-bellied? It hints at greed, better left unsaid.

Dress demands deliberation, too. Black and white, colours of mourning, jar against the red theme of vitality. Worn or torn outfits suggest ongoing want; crisp clothing conveys a clean slate. Accidental breakages of plates or glasses call for quick cover: wrap the pieces in red paper and murmur 'Sui sui ping an' for yearly safety. Animal slaughter is suspended for the full 15 days, blood viewed as a blot on budding blessings, and rice stores must brim to banish any whiff of want.

These Chinese New Year taboos, enduring amid evolving customs, offer a framework for festive mindfulness as of 16 February 2026. In cities like Manchester's Chinatown, where lanterns already glow, they quietly shape how the Fire Horse's energy is harnessed—for harmony, not hazard.