Why do some people avoid cleaning and laundry on New Year's? One of the many widely discussed New Year's myths forewarns that washing clothes or laundry could cleanse you of any good fortune for the next 365 days. Similarly, taking out anything from the home that day could remove any future prosperity.
January is often a month of fresh starts, resolutions, and clearing out the holiday chaos. It's the perfect time to get your home in order and embrace a new year. However, according to age-old superstition, there's one chore you should definitely skip on January 1st: laundry.
Cleaning or sweeping on New Year's Day is considered bad luck, as it's thought to sweep away good fortune. The same goes for doing laundry or taking out the trash — avoid these chores if you want to keep your luck intact.
🧺✨ There's a long-standing belief that washing clothes, dishes, or anything else on New Year's Day can wash away your luck for the entire year—or worse, symbolise washing away a loved one. It's a tradition rooted in folklore, and while not everyone believes it, many people choose to play it safe just in case.
However, according to Indian customs and Hindu rituals it is believed to bring bad omen if hair washed on Saturdays. You can wash hair on alternate days. If you are stern religious believer and do not want to wash hair on Saturdays then you can wash on Sunday, Tuesday and likewise on alternate days.
If your hair naturally produces a lot of oil, then you might find you need to wash your hair every day. However, this isn't the case for most people, who should only need to wash their hair every 2 – 3 days - depending on the different factors listed below.
As per astrology, there are certain inauspicious days when we should not wash our hair. Thursday - Jupiter, the planet of development and expansion, rules Thursday. It is said that washing your hair on Thursday will turn you into a beggar and take Goddess Laxmi away. Saturday - Saturday is the day of Shani Dev.
Is it bad luck to shower on New Year's Eve? Like sweeping, there's a superstition out there that showering will wash away your good luck, according to CNN.
on Thursday are believed to diminish wealth and good fortune. In addition, it also displeases goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that using soap to wash one's body or clothing on this day will wash away the prosperity of the home.
Also, don't loan out any money on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day, and don't start the year with any unpaid debts, or you could set a precedent for the months aheads.
Some frown upon cleaning up and cleaning clothes during New Year's Eve. It is thought that you could accidentally wash away or wipe away good luck headed your way.
People avoid doing laundry or cleaning on Jan. 1st as it can cleanse away any good fortunes for the upcoming year, according to Chinese superstition. Another distressing belief is that doing laundry and cleaning will "wash away a loved one," meaning someone you love could die in the new year, reported CBS News.
According to Britannica, people should thoroughly clean their homes around 10 days before the new year starts in a custom called "sweeping of the grounds" to remove any lingering bad luck beforehand. Cleaning during the Lunar New Year, however, is thought to risk getting rid of any good luck accumulating in the home.
It turns out cleaning on New Year's Day, the day before, or even between Christmas and New Year's can bring you bad luck.
Negative energy is at its peak at night, so if you wash clothes at night, this negative energy enters your clothes as well as your body and directly affects your health.
Don't wash those clothes
According to folklore, if you wash clothes on New Year's Day, you'll be “washing for the dead” or washing a loved one away -- meaning someone in your household will die in the coming year. Get your laundry washed, dried, folded and put away by New Year's Eve.
The reasons behind these Monday practices: Never wash your hair on Monday: It's believed that washing hair on Monday can wash away good fortune and prosperity from your life.
Wednesday (Mercury)
Yellow is to be strictly avoided on Wednesdays. Yellow represents Jupiter and green represents Mercury. Both are enemy planets, therefore, it is best to avoid these day-colour combos.
New Year's Eve is an exceptionally long night for many cultures; if you must sleep, ensure it's right after midnight at the earliest. Sleeping through midnight could trap you in the previous year or taint your luck for the year to come.
No washing or cutting your hair
It is believed that if you wash your hair on New Year's day, you'd also be washing away all your luck. It's somewhat similar to if you cut your hair, you'd be cutting your life shorter!
Myth: It's not safe to wash your hair during your period. Fact: There's no reason at all to not wash your hair during your period. Practising self-care and having freshly-washed hair might even lift your mood!
It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi gets upset if men or women wash their hair, trim them or cut their nails. Thursdays are considered to be the day of Laxmi-Narayan and hence getting a haircut or washing them, in addition to cutting your nails and shaving is said to be inauspicious.
Taking a haircut, shaving or cutting nails:
It is considered an invitation to bad luck if one cuts hair or shaves or trims a beard on a Thursday. It is said Brihaspat - the planet governing life or longevity - is angered by such actions. They say it invites a threat to one's job or life.