On, er yue er, the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar – this past Tuesday – I’ve been asked if I’ve had a haircut.
Apparently Chinese people call the day longtaitou day, ie the day when the “dragon raises its head” meaning “the spring awakens after winter” so it’s time for a haircut to get lucky.
A 2020 writeup I came across says that Cao Baoming, deputy chief of China Society for the Study of Folk Literature and Art, explains that the lucky haircut tradition comes from the folklore that in ancient times when the dragon, believed in Chinese mythology to be the king of all creatures and the ancestor of all humans, starts to awaken at the start of spring. People, wanting a fresh start as well, would go to the barber to get a haircut. Nowadays, especially in China, barber shops and hairdressing salons see long lines of customers trying to get in on this “auspicious” day. Some are said to stay open late to cope with the influx of customers.
I’ve been a Chinese since I was born in Singapore 66 years ago but I’ve never heard of this haircut practice before.
Cao Baoming notwithstanding, I suspect it’s something concocted by barbers and hairdressers!
Too bad they won’t be able to make even one cent from me as I shave my own head.
The money saved goes to my CPF (Cigar Purchase Fund).