People have their hair cut at a barbershop in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 17, 2010. March 17 is the second day of the second month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar this year. Folklore addresses it as "dragon lifting head", meaning the spring awakens after winter hibernation, when people have their hair cut to bring good luck.
Just a month after the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations began, here comes another tradition, to have a haircut on the second day of the second month, or Er Yue Er, to hope for good luck for the whole year.
China's barber shops are seeing one of their busiest days of the year Wednesday, Er Yue Er, also known as Longtaitou (dragon raises head) day on the lunar calendar this year.
Many Chinese hold the superstitious belief that getting a haircut when the "dragon also raises its head" means they will have a vigorous start to the new year, but if a person has a haircut during the first month of the lunar year, his maternal uncle will die.
As a result, barbershops stay open almost 18 hours a day in the pre-Lunar New Year rush for haircuts that lasts for at least two weeks.
While women like to spruce up for the holiday, even men with short hair like to get a trim up before the new year begins lest their hair grows too long before their next haircut, scheduled on the second day of the second lunar month.
