Chinese people believe that, as the Spring Festival is the start of a new year, what you do then will affect your luck in the coming year. There are many things you should not do.

春节代表着新一年的开始，因此，中国人相信，你在春节期间做什么会影响你这一年的运气。有许多事是不能做的。

Traditionally many taboos are associated with the New Year Festival, but in recent years some of them have been discarded, especially among the modern urban populations in larger cities and the younger generation.

传统上许多禁忌都与春节有关，但近年来一些禁忌已被丢弃，尤其是在大城市的时尚人群以及年轻一代。

Here are top 6 things that people should avoid doing on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

以下是人们在正月初一应该避免的6件事。

Avoid taking medicine.

1.忌服药

It is a taboo for a person to brew herbal medicine or take medicine on the first day of the lunar year, otherwise it is believed he or she will get ill for a whole year.

人们在正月初一不能熬草药或者服药，否则会“初一吃药病一年”。

In some places, after the bell announcing the New Year at midnight New Year’s Day, sickly people break their gallipots (medicine pots) in the belief that this custom will drive the illness away in the coming year.

在某些地方，新年的钟声敲响时，生病的人们会摔破他们的药罐子，因为他们相信这个习俗会在新的一年里驱走疾病。

Don’t sweep or take out garbage.

2.忌扫地或扔垃圾

The act of sweeping on this day is associated with sweeping wealth away. Taking out garbage symbolizes dumping out the good luck or good fortune from the house.

这一天扫地会认为是把财富扫出去，倒垃圾则意味着将好运从家中倒走。

Don’t eat porridge and meat for breakfast.

早餐忌吃粥或者吃肉

Porridge should not be eaten, because it is considered that only poor people have porridge for breakfast, and people don’t want to start the year "poor" as this is a bad omen.

不能吃粥是因为只有穷人的早餐才吃粥，并且人们不想以“贫穷”开始新的一年，因为这是一个不好的预兆。

Besides, meat should not be eaten at this breakfast out of respect for the (Buddhist) gods (who are believed to be against killing of animals), as all gods are expected to be out meeting and wishing a happy New Year to each other.

此外，这天的早餐不能吃肉是出于对（佛教）神灵（据称不杀生）的尊重，因为这天所有的神灵都会出来见面，祝福大家新年快乐。

Don’t wash clothes and hair.

4.不能洗衣服洗头

People do not wash clothes on the first and second day, because these two days are celebrated as the birthday of Shuishen (水神, the Water God).

大年初一初二不能洗衣服，因为这两天是水神的生日。

Hair must not be washed on the first day of the lunar year. In Chinese language, hair (发) has the same pronunciation (and indeed is the same character) as fa in facai (发财), which means ’to become wealthy’. Therefore, it is seen as not a good thing to “wash one’s fortune away” at the beginning of the New Year.

大年初一不能洗头发，因为“发”在中文里和发财的“发”同音同字，意思是“变得更富有”。所以在新年伊始把“财运洗走”是不吉利的。

Needle work should not be done.

5.不能动针线

The use of knives and scissors is to be avoided for any accident, whether harming a person or tool, is thought to lead to inauspicious things and the depletion of wealth in the coming year.

忌用刀和剪子是为了避免事故，无论是伤到人或是损坏工具，都会被认为是不吉的，会消耗来年的财富。

A married daughter is not allowed to visit the house of her parents.

6.已婚女子不能回娘家

A married daughter is not allowed to visit the house of her parents, as this is believed to bring bad luck to the parents, causing economic hardship for the family. Traditionally a married daughter visits the house of her parents on the second day of Chinese New Year.

已婚的女儿在正月初一不能回娘家，因为这被认为会给父母带来坏运气，给家庭带来经济困难。传统上，出嫁的女儿在正月初二探望父母。

Spring Festival Season Taboos

春节期间的禁忌：

During the New Year Festival season (from the 1st to 15th of the Lunar New Year) the following taboos apply:

在春节期间（正月初一到正月十五）要遵循以下禁忌：

The cry of a child is believed to bring bad luck to the family, so parents do their best to keep children from crying by whatever means possible.

据说孩子的哭哭啼啼会给全家带来霉运，所以父母竭尽所能不让孩子哭闹。

Breaking tools or other equipment during this period is associated with a loss of wealth for the coming year; therefore tradesmen and business people in general take great precautions to prevent it.

春节期间打破工具或者其他器具，意味着接下来的一年会破财，因此生意人和企业家通常会尽量防止此事发生。

A visit to the hospital during this period is believed to bring illness to the person in question for the duration of coming year; therefore visits to the hospital are avoided, except in cases of extreme emergency.

据说过年去医院的人来年会疾病缠身，因此除非有紧急情况，否则不要去医院。

Theft: Do not let other people take objects, including money, from your pocket during the Spring Festival, and take care not to have your pocket picked, as this is believed to portend your whole wealth in the coming year being stolen.

盗窃：春节期间最好别让他人从你的口袋偷走财物，也要当心别把口袋翻出来，因为据说这样做预示着来年你的钱财会被偷光。

Debt: Money should not be lent on New Year’s Day, and all debts have to be paid by New Year’s Eve, and, if someone who owes you money, do not go to his or her home to demand it. Anyone who does so it is said will be unlucky all the year.

债务：新年第一天不要借钱给别人，而且所有的债务要在除夕夜之前结清。如果别人欠了你的钱，不要在新年第一天去别人家里催债。据说，如果这样做，来年则会诸事不顺。

The rice jar should not be allowed to become empty. This causes grave anxiety, as the cessation of cooking during the New Year period is an ill omen.

过年期间米缸不能空，这种情况会让人非常焦虑，因为春节断炊是一种不祥之兆。

Damaged clothes: Do not wear new clothes that are damaged. If kids especially wear such clothes in the first lunar month, it is said to bring bad luck.

衣服破损：不要穿有破损的新衣服。特别是孩子们在正月里不能穿这样的衣服，否则会招来霉运。

No killing: Killing in the Spring Festival should be avoided as blood is considered an ill omen, which will cause misfortunes such as a bloody disaster.

不要杀生：春节期间不能杀生因为见血也是一个不祥的预兆，可能会带来血光之灾。

Do not wear white or black clothes as these two colors are associated with mourning traditionally.

不要穿白色或者黑色的衣服，因为这两种颜色通常和传统丧服联系在一起。

（来源：爱语吧）