The Lunar New Year is a time for celebration, family, and most importantly, inviting good fortune into your home. While much of the focus is on what we should do—like wearing red or eating dumplings—traditionally, there are also a few things we should avoid during Chinese New Year and the first few days of the holiday. Did you know that the celebrations are traditionally meant to last for 15 days until the Lantern Festival? However, in our fast-paced modern world, most people take time off work for the first week or about 6-7 days. It really depends on the country, as holiday schedules vary everywhere. Regardless of how long you celebrate, the first 1-3 days are usually when you want to avoid the following taboos. This ensures you are welcoming the new year with the best possible energy and prosperity. Here are 7 taboos to avoid on February 17, 2026 for Chinese new year!
No Sweeping or Trash Removal
One of the most well-known rules is to avoid cleaning on New Year’s Day. In Chinese culture, the first day of the year is when good luck and wealth fall into your home. If you sweep the floor or take out the trash, you are symbolically sweeping your wealth out the front door and throwing it away. This is why you should deep clean in the days leading up to the festival. You want your home to be spotless before the clock strikes midnight so you can rest, celebrate, and let the luck settle. If you accidentally spill something or need to wipe a surface, that is totally fine. Just try to avoid any heavy sweeping or decluttering during these first few days. You can still put things in the trash can, but avoid taking the bag out of the house until at least the next day—or ideally, after the first three days have passed.
Don’t Wash or Cut Your Hair
In the Chinese language, the word for hair is 髮 fà, linguistically relates to the word 發 fā which means to expand, grow or prosper. Because the first day of the year is when your luck begins to take root. You want to avoid washing your hair as it means you’re literally washing away your luck and abundance before it has a chance to settle. Similarly, you should avoid cutting your hair, as using scissors or razors symbolizes cutting into your good fortune for the year ahead. The best way to handle this is to schedule your hair appointments early. (The salons are always packed before the new year). You definitely want to shower and wash your hair on Chinese New Year’s Eve to wash away the old energy of the past year. On New Year’s day, you can still take a shower just don’t wash your hair. Make sure to shower at night and not in the morning time. Otherwise you will wash away your luck before the year even begins. This way, you start the New Year fresh and clean without needing to touch the shampoo or scissors on Day 1. But also avoid getting a hair cut within the first 3 days of the new year too.
Avoid Using Sharp Objects
Knives, scissors, and even needles are traditionally put away on the first day of the New Year. You want to avoid these objects because they are thought to cut the stream of wealth and success from flowing to you. Second, using tools like scissors is seen as an omen for cutting ties with family members and loved ones. To honor this tradition, many people do all their cooking prep like chopping vegetables and meat, on New Year’s Eve, so that no knives are required on the first day of the year. It also makes cooking much easier during the day of. While some modern families no longer strictly adhere to this, and many in Asian countries now eat at banquet halls, every family still maintains their own unique traditions.
No Lending or Borrowing Money
The way you handle your finances at the start of the year is believed to set the tone for your bank account over the next twelve months. To avoid financial leakage, you should never lend or borrow money on New Year’s Day. Borrowing money is seen as an omen that you will be in debt or struggling to keep up all year. While lending money is seen as literally giving away your wealth before it has a chance to grow. In fact, many people make it a point to pay off all their existing debts if they can before New Year’s Eve so they can start Day 1 with a clean slate. Keeping your money tucked away in your own pocket for the first few days ensures that your wealth is safe and secure for the year ahead.
No Crying, Arguing, or Complaining
How you behave on New Year’s Day is believed to set the tone for your emotional state for the rest of the year. This is why parents are often extra lenient with children on this day, to avoid any tears or arguments that might bring bad energy into their home and year. Similarly, it is important to avoid complaining or speaking negatively. If you spend the first day of the year complaining about your luck or venting frustrations. It is believed you are “complaining your luck away” and inviting more reasons to be unhappy in the months to come. During this time, you also want to avoid using “unlucky” words. In the Chinese language, we carefully avoid words related to death, illness, or loss. For the truly superstitious, it’s best to avoid these subjects entirely. Focus on speaking kind words, remaining positive, and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere to attract more of that same energy all year long.
Avoid Breaking Glass or Ceramics
Breaking a bowl, glass, or plate is traditionally seen as a sign of “broken” fortune or a rift in family connections. Of course, accidents happen! If something does break, there is a traditional remedy which is to immediately wrap the pieces in red paper and say: “Suì suì píng’ān.” This phrase sounds like peace all year round, which effectively neutralizes the accident and turns a moment of bad luck into a blessing of safety.
Avoid Wearing Black or White
In Chinese tradition, black and white are colors associated with mourning and funerals. Because the New Year is meant to be a vibrant celebration of life and vitality, wearing an all-black or all-white outfit is seen as inviting deathly or stagnant energy into your year. You want to also avoid an outfit of only black and white. Instead, this is the time to wear your brightest, most festive colors, especially red, which symbolizes luck, fire, and protection. If red isn’t your color, opt for gold, yellow, or even bright pink to ensure you are vibrating at the frequency of celebration rather than sorrow. You don’t have to be dressed in red from head to toe, though! You can easily mix things up by wearing a colorful, vibrant top with black pants, or a white shirt paired with a bright, colorful vest.
While these traditions may seem strict, they are all designed with one goal in mind: to help you start your year with the highest possible vibration and enter the new year, with health, abundance and love. By being mindful of these small taboos, you’re ready to receive all the goodness the new year has to offer. Now that you know what to avoid during the celebration, make sure your home and mind are ready for the festivities to begin. Check out my guide on 6 Ways to Prepare for the Lunar New Year to ensure you’ve cleared the path for a prosperous year ahead.
