As we gear up for the Chinese New Year on February 17, 2026, a Feng Shui expert named Jemma warned that in the midst of celebrating, there are certain things you should actively avoid to ensure a prosperous Year of the Fire Horse. The Lunar New Year should be treated as an energetic reset, and what you do on that day sets the tone for the year ahead.
Chinese New Year is always about fresh starts and creating new opportunities for yourself. The Year of the Fire Horse, specifically, is all about tackling those goals that you have been neglecting and aligning your environment to receive the blessings and prosperity that can be abundant in the energy harnessed by the Fire Horse. “In Eastern culture, the horse represents action, freedom, speed, and breakthrough,” Susan Gu, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, told Vogue. “It reflects a stage of life that moves boldly forward without the fear of obstacles, placing emphasis on being in motion rather than standing still.”
Cleaning before the Lunar New Year is encouraged because it helps clear away stagnant energy and bad luck. But you should only clean before the clock strikes midnight on February 17, 2026. Once the new year officially begins, sweeping and cleaning should be avoided. Many believe that if you clean, you’re essentially sweeping away the good fortune that has just arrived.
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According to Britannica, people should thoroughly clean their homes around 10 days before the new year begins, in a custom called “sweeping of the grounds,” to remove any lingering bad luck. Put down the broom on celebration day, however, or you could be kicking off the Year of the Fire Horse with bad luck.
: 4 Ways To Prepare Your Home For Good Fortune Before The Year Of The Fire Horse Begins On February 17, 2026
Words are powerful, especially right before the Chinese New Year. Any negative talk or arguments with others is strongly discouraged. What you say on New Year’s Day is said to truly echo in the year ahead.
Constantly focusing on what’s wrong can just amplify the negative energy, and that can be an invitation for it to enter your life. Even if things aren’t perfect, people should choose uplifting and encouraging words. It’s not about avoiding conflict, but about picking your battles and waiting until the day after to address your concerns and disagreements.
Sharp objects are said to symbolically cut luck, relationships, and prosperity, according to Jemma. That’s why people are encouraged to avoid using sharp objects whenever possible. You don’t want to cut off any of the good fortune that’s coming your way. It’s probably best to prep meals that need to be chopped the night before rather than on February 17th.
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As China Highlights noted, “Using scissors on the first day of Chinese New Year is perceived as an invocation for quarrels with others in the coming year.” They went on to say, “The use of knives 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.”
When you consciously choose to remove sharp objects from your space, you invite more positive vibes. It might seem absurd, but if you’re someone who might lean on the superstitious side, it might be a lot deeper.
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In the same way that people should avoid cleaning and sweeping on the Chinese New Year, the same is true for washing your hair. It’s been said that washing your hair on the day is synonymous with washing away your fortune right as it arrives. You want to carve out time to do a deep clean of your hair way before midnight. You want all of the luck to stick to you, not just slip right down the drain.
According to Boston University, on top of not washing their hair, people should also avoid cutting their hair. It was once believed that doing so during the New Year celebration could actually bring harm to someone’s maternal uncles.
You should avoid accruing unnecessary debt or borrowing money during the Chinese New Year, especially if you want a prosperous Fire Horse year. Many believe that the second you borrow or lend money to someone else during the New Year, it could affect your finances. Considering 90% of Americans have some form of debt, it might be a good idea to just keep the wallet closed completely.
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You are trying to attract abundance into your life in the Year of the Fire Horse. Even if you’re just borrowing or lending a small amount of money, it can still impact the blessings coming your way.
You should avoid breaking anything during the Chinese New Year, as it’s thought to bring loss and even misfortune. It doesn’t matter if it’s a plate or worse, your phone screen, the energy around the break is all the same. Even if it’s an accident, breaking something can drastically impact your luck and disrupt the positive moments and energy that you should be welcoming into your life.
As Boston University noted, “In China, the character ‘Sui’ means year, which is pronounced the same as the word ‘break.’ That’s why, when Chinese people accidentally break things during Lunar New Year celebrations, they’ll say ‘Sui Sui Ping An, which means \Safe and sound every year.’ So, you should probably go out of your way to not handle anything fragile, and if you have “butter fingers,” let someone else handle the delicate stuff.
: 4 Ways To Protect Yourself From Misfortune In The Year Of The Fire Horse
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
