Hair is Luck, Don’t Cut it Away

Main piece:

You can’t cut your own hair because you’re going to cut your own luck away.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

My mom I think told me. I don’t like it, I don’t care about it. I never cut my hair anyways. It doesn’t affect me anyways. I’ve had bangs all my life, and sometimes they get hard to keep up. It’s easy to look and think that you can cut just a little bit off, but I would never do that. I just make a hair appointment. I take all of this with a grain of salt but if I can avoid losing the luck, then I will avoid it. It’s not like I have no other choice.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

I was told when I was little. My dad usually gave me a haircut for my bangs- which turned out awful always- but I still wouldn’t cut my own hair.

 

Personal Analysis:

This seems like a way to deter children from cutting their hair by themselves. I personally have cut my own hair more than I would like to admit, never quite succeeding in making it look professional. Then again, I was told not to cut my hair after I had already done the deed- after I found out how fun it was! Ana, who was told her luck would go away if she cut her own hair, has literally never attempted it- even with the nuisance of overgrown bangs. Either she has incredible willpower, or this mild warning was very successful in deterring her from cutting her own hair. I should have asked why someone else cutting her hair didn’t also cut the luck away, but I think I can assume the answer is no. Otherwise, she would have some pretty long hair!