Avoid using sharp objects like knives on New Year’s Day to prevent cutting away good fortune.

No Knives on New Year's Day: Protecting Your Luck

Details

The practice of avoiding sharp or pointed objects such as knives, scissors, and needles on New Year’s Day is considered a symbolic preventive action. Believers think that cutting or piercing objects may ‘cut off’ the flow of good luck and success for the entire year.

Often, families may pre-prepare meals in advance so that no knife use is necessary on the first day of the year. Some may even avoid using sharp tools or engaging in any repair work involving blades. The superstition is typically followed from midnight until the end of New Year’s Day. In addition to knives, people may refrain from breaking, tearing, or otherwise ‘splitting’ objects to maintain symbolic unity and continuity for the future.

Historical Context

This superstition is commonly found in East and Southeast Asian cultural traditions, particularly in Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese New Year celebrations. It is rooted in the symbolic importance of the New Year as a time to set the tone for the following months. The act of cutting is metaphorically interpreted as severing progress, relationships, or prosperity. In traditional Chinese belief systems, luck is viewed as an energy (qi) that needs to be preserved and unbroken. Consequently, many practices during Lunar New Year involve promoting unity, wholeness, and abundance. The knife taboo aligns with these values and serves as a protective measure to ensure uninterrupted fortune.

Modern Relevance

Today, the belief continues to be practiced, especially in families observing Lunar New Year traditions in regions such as China, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and among diaspora communities. Social media posts and cultural blogs frequently remind followers of the ‘no cutting on New Year’s Day’ rule. While some may treat it more as a symbolic or nostalgic tradition rather than a literal superstition, others maintain it strictly out of respect for cultural rituals or to foster a sense of positivity at the year’s start. In multicultural societies, the belief is often adapted or humorously referenced rather than rigidly enforced.

Sources

Wong, Diana. ‘Lunar New Year Traditions and Superstitions.’ China Highlights, 2022.

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