Why should you not use knives or scissors on Chinese New Year's Day?

In modern society, this is not as widely practiced anymore. Yet, there are still those that do not wash their hair on Chinese New Year day.

The belief is that when you wash something during Chinese New Year, you will be washing away your luck for the year. This would mean, dishes, your hair, body, etc. Cutting your hair would be the same thing.. You would be cutting away your luck. Not to mention you'd be hard pressed to find a hair salon to cut your hair in China or Taiwan on Chinese New Year day as not much is open.

There are those who take it to the extreme. There is no cleaning or washing from the first to third day of the Chinese New Year (body and face excluded). Then there are the overly extreme who take it up to the fifth day of Chinese New Year. But, most people who have this superstition/belief will keep it to just the first day of the New Year.

For those that do not wash their hair on the first of the New Year, what they may do is wash it the day before just before midnight. Then wait till midnight between the first and second and then wash their hair again then.