Can I wash my hair and take a bath on the second day of the Chinese New Year?

In the traditional customs of the Spring Festival, people pay attention to washing their hair and taking a bath on New Year's Eve. After New Year's Eve, it is not appropriate to wash your hair and take a bath, otherwise it will bring bad luck to yourself and affect your fortune for the whole year. So can I wash my hair and take a bath on the second day of the Lunar New Year?

Can I wash my hair and take a bath on the second day of the Chinese New Year?

1. One saying holds that you can wash your hair on the second day of the Lunar New Year, but you cannot have a haircut. You can go back to your parents’ home, but not empty-handed. You should not ask for debts from others, you should not let others pick your pocket, you should not throw out dirty water, garbage, or sweep the floor.
2. There is also a saying that it is best not to do anything related to "flowing water" on the second day of the Lunar New Year, because water means money, and flowing water means losing money, which is also a bad omen. Therefore, you cannot wash your hair or take a bath. The used water can be saved and thrown away after the New Year. However, these are the rules left by our ancestors, which have gradually become historical customs. If you do not follow them, you may be scolded by the elders, but there is no scientific way to enforce them.

When can I wash my hair and take a bath on the first day of the Chinese New Year?

You can wash your hair and take a bath on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year ;
Although there are many taboos and sayings about washing hair and taking a bath in the old customs, the fifth day of the first lunar month is the Po Wu Festival, commonly known as Po Wu. According to Chinese folk customs, many taboos before the fifth day of the New Year can be broken after this day. People believe that after the fifth day of the first lunar month, many Spring Festival taboos can be lifted. After this day, the festive atmosphere will be relatively weaker, and the climax of the New Year has passed, so it is possible to wash your hair and take a bath.

Which days in the first month of the lunar year can’t you wash your hair?

People believe that the days when it is not suitable to wash hair include the first, second, third, seventh, thirteenth and twenty-ninth days of the first lunar month. The specific statements vary from place to place, so the main thing is to respect local traditional customs. In the old custom, emphasis was placed on taking a bath on New Year's Eve.