Hair-Cut No No

The other night I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. I was headed to a party. The city skyline shimmered under a sky dotted by the few stars strong enough to pierce New York's light umbrella. The city is jealous of its power and the bridge hummed with the passage of cars and trucks. It was cold and I pulled down my hat tight, thinking my last hair-cut had been in Thailand.

Two months ago.

There was a hair stylist in Chinatown. The cost was $10. Once off the bridge I walked north, passing through City Hall. The sidewalks were empty and I looked to the East, thinking about the rising moon. It would be setting in Thailand. My son and his mother still asleep in the Jomtien Beach apartment, then I remembered Mem saying that you shouldn't cut your hair at night and never on Wednesday. I phoned to make sure. She sleepily told me that this was against Thai tradition. I left her go back to sleep and wondered how this prohibition came into being.

A search of Google revealed nothing about the edict against cutting hair at night, although I suspect it has something to do with the practicality of the night-cutter's night vision issues, however a website suggested that the Wednesday ban can be attributed to the centuries of the royal family having their hair trimmed on Wednesday during the day and commoners ie serfs are banned from any royal behavior.

Only trusted stylists were allowed this privilege to avoid the theft of the noble hair for the purpose of magic.

It was a Sunday, but night and for some reason I didn't get my hair cut.

It could be superstition, but then I'm half-Irish and we believe in leprechauns.

Other Thai Superstitions:

(1) Don’t whistle at night because you will invite ghosts into your house.
(2) Don’t let women eat chicken feet because they will have an affair
(3) Do not let pregnant women whistle because her baby will have a crooked mouth
(4) Do not allow an adult pay respect to a child (wai) because that child will have a shortened life
(5) Do not joke while you are eating because the ghost will steal your rice
(6) Do not cover your head when you go to a temple because this will make you bald
(7) Do not sharpen a knife at night time because you will offend the angels
(8) Do not look at naked people because your eyes will become swollen
(9) Do not have sexual intercours on holy days (wan phra) because bad things will happen.
(10) Do not let the bride and the groom meet three days before the wedding because their marriage will not last
(11) Do not smile while sowing corn because it won’t grow
(12) Do not stand in a doorway because a ghost will enter the house
(13) Do not sew at night because the ghost will haunt you
(14) Do not throw money away because you will lose your finger
(15) Do not sing while you are eating because the ghost will curse you.