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Those who pay close attention may notice that after the Spring Festival holiday, there is one industry whose working hours are much longer than those of the **official statutory holidays – and that is the hairdressing industry. Many barbershops do not start working officially until after the 10th day of the first lunar month, or even after the 15th day of that month. Some friends who are familiar with folk customs may have already guessed that this is related to a custom in our country. That’s right; it means “it’s not appropriate to get a haircut during the first month of the year.” Among the people, there is still an old taboo song that goes: “Do not shave your head in the first month; if you do, your uncle will die.” Even people of advanced age still harbor taboos regarding their bodies. Some time ago, the media reported that in Changchun, a situation became very unpleasant when an uncle discovered that his nephew was getting a haircut. In the eyes of this uncle, his nephew is “too willful” and impolite; getting a haircut during the first month of the year is undoubtedly a “curse” for him. Finally, it was only after the intervention of relatives that things settled down. It is still believed in many places that one should not get their hair cut during the first month of the year; especially for children whose uncles are involved, parents who are particular about such things will give them special instructions, fearing that getting a haircut during this period might have negative effects on the uncle. Of course, this also seems a bit of an overreaction, a forced connection, with some elements of superstition involved. Why is it not advisable to get a haircut in the first month of the year? “The connection between the practice of not shaving one’s head during the first month of the year and the term \"dead uncle\" is, in fact, due to a coincidence and miscommunication. According to Volume 2, \"Customs,\" of the 1935 edition of the \"Yexian Annals,\" the mystery behind this custom is explained: \"It is said that according to the elders in the village, the order to shave off hair was implemented in January of the fourth year of the Shunzhi reign during the Qing dynasty. With the change in the Ming dynasty’s system, the people began to think of their former rulers because of this requirement to shave their hair; hence the term ‘longing for the past.’\" Having been used for so long, it was mistakenly written as ‘dead uncle’. ”Not shaving one’s head in the first month of the year is a way of showing remembrance for the past. That is, when the Qing troops entered the pass, they forced the Han people to shave their heads and wear queues; yet out of loyalty to their former homeland, the Han people agreed not to shave their hair in the first month of the year as a way to show that they had not forgotten their former rulers, thus giving rise to the practice of \"missing the old regime.\" Over time, “thinking of the past” came to be pronounced similarly to “dead uncle,” and through error and repetition, it turned into the folk taboo that one should not shave their head in the first month of the year, otherwise their uncle will die. The practice of not shaving one’s head in the first month of the year is also related to the ancient Han people’s emphasis on hair. The Book of Filial Piety states: “The body, hair, and skin are gifts from one’s parents; one should not dare to damage them, for this is the essence of filial piety.” ”The ancient Han people believed that hair was given by one’s parents, and therefore one had no right to \"dispose\" of it. Hair was also considered as important as one’s life, which is why ancient people often tied their hair into buns. Unless a person sees through the worldly distractions and decides to become a monk or nun, they do not have their hair cut as a sign of their determination to renounce the world. In ancient times, people did not cut their hair as a way to honor their ancestors. The ancient people considered hair to be almost as important as the skull; therefore, “shaving hair” meant “shaving the head.” Today, people refer to “shaving hair” as “getting a haircut,” which simply involves tidying up the hair. It is clear that over the course of time, there has been a huge difference in the way people view the act of getting a haircut. From this perspective, the belief that it is not appropriate to get a haircut in the first month of the year is, upon closer examination, partly rooted in traditional concepts, and generally constitutes an unfounded superstition. Today, there is no need to delve too deeply into the connection between getting a haircut in the first month of the year and one’s deceased uncles. From the perspective of traditional Chinese health preservation, it makes sense not to get one’s hair cut during the first month of the year. The Huangdi Neijing·Suwen states: During the three months of spring, it is a time for things to sprout and grow. Heaven and earth both come to life, and all things flourish. One should go to bed late and get up early, walk around in the courtyard, let one’s hair loose and relax the body, so as to foster a positive mindset. One should encourage growth rather than destruction, give rather than take, reward rather than punish. This is how one should respond to the energies of spring, and it represents the way to maintain good health. Going against this will harm the liver; in summer, there is a shift towards coldness, and less energy is available to support growth. ”In other words, spring is a time when all things come to life and the old gives way to the new, and we should not prevent the growth of new things. Applied to hair, this means letting it hang loose and grow freely, without cutting it, as doing so goes against the energy of growth in spring. Friendly reminder: There is a folk custom of getting one’s hair cut on the second day of the second lunar month, the day when the dragon is said to raise its head. Those who still hold superstitions regarding the saying \"Shaving your head in the first month of the year brings bad luck for your uncle\" might as well get their hair shaved on this day to bring good fortune into the new year! Hangzhou Tongji Hospital