According to some superstations, people claim that certain days of the year should be avoided when doing laundry or it’s considered to be bad luck.
Some people believe these superstitions result in supernatural influences and that they relate to causing good or bad luck. It’s not uncommon for people to live their lives based on these beliefs.
Everyone has their own unique opinions, so if doing the laundry is one of your favourite or least liked chores, you might be curious to know when it is bad luck to wash your clothes so you can avoid those occasions.
When is it bad luck to do laundry?
Here are 7 different scenarios in which washing laundry is not a good idea, along with some additional justifications for why you should consider putting off doing your laundry for an extra day or two this year.
New Year’s Eve
Based on popular belief, cleaning your house before the new year can help you to avoid bringing your past misfortunes into your present life.
The phrase “out with the old, in with the new” has been used to describe the tradition. This involves cleaning your home thoroughly on or before New Year’s Eve.
But rumour has it that washing laundry on January 1st could actually ruin your entire year! According to beliefs found in cultures all around the world, some people suspect that by washing clothes on New Year’s Day you could actually be washing a loved one away in the process!
Folklore states that because of this strong superstition, many believe that if washing is done on this day, someone in the family would pass away.
If you think this is true, be ready for a day off and spend it with your family instead.
Good Friday
Cleaning, including washing your clothes, is frowned upon on Good Friday according to Catholic tradition. It is said that if you do any cleaning or washing up on this day, your family will receive bad luck.
Washing has been cursed on this day because it is said that Christ was struck in the face with a wet garment while being carried to his crucifixion.
Many Catholics believe that avoiding household chores on this day will keep bad omens away.
Christians throughout the world mark this solemn day of memory and contemplation by going to church, fasting, praying, and considering the significance of Christ’s sacrifice.
Easter Sunday also follows this same justification.
The Sabbath
Shavat, which means “to rest” in Hebrew, is the root of the Jewish Sabbath. The seventh day of the week, which is naturally a Saturday (but a Sunday for some) serves as a reflection of this throughout the entire year.
According to biblical tradition, the sabbath honours the first seventh day when God rested following the completion of humankind.
Some actions are prohibited on the Sabbath including cleaning and doing laundry. Here’s a list of other things that are not allowed on the Sabbath:
- Working
- Eating
- Drinking
- Cleaning or doing laundry
- Anointing one’s body
- Wearing leather shoes
Easter Sunday
Since Sunday is also a day of rest and worship, several cultures forbid doing laundry on that day too. This belief dates back to many years ago when it was considered evil to perform any kind of work on their Sabbath.
This has led to the urban legend that doing laundry on Sundays is bad luck or would bring bad luck the following week. This is also the case for Good Friday as it is believed to bring bad luck for the remainder of the year.
Avoiding doing any type of chore is also justified on Good Friday as it is believed to bring bad luck for the remainder of the year.
Chinese New Year
According to Chinese folklore, washing your clothes on Chinese New Year’s Day actually acts as a deterrent to good luck and fortune.
In China, water was viewed by the ancients as a symbol of abundance. This makes doing laundry bad luck because of the water that’s used while your washing machine is working.
Because of this belief people don’t wash their clothes on the first and second days of the new year, doing this is considered disrespectful to the water god on their birthday.
People are also advised not to wash their hair or clean their homes during the Chinese New Year. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, sweeping and throwing out your rubbish is also forbidden because doing so symbolises throwing away money and good fortune.
Thursday
We can all agree that washing our clothes with lovely-smelling soaps is a necessity when doing laundry. It’s actually one of the reasons that your clothes come out of the machine smelling fresh.
However, Hinduism believes that using soap on Thursday will hinder the blessings of Lord Vishnu, who is regarded as the universe’s protector and keeper, as well as Brihaspati Dev, who is regarded as the gods’ mentor and the Master of Sacred wisdom.
Hindus are advised not to wash their clothes on Thursday as it may be a bad omen since washing clothes requires soap.
Tuesday and Friday
Despite the fact that Good Friday has already been listed – believe it or not, according to the Bosnian tradition all Fridays on the calendar are avoided when it comes to washing laundry.
The Bosnian tradition has the belief that washing clothing on Tuesdays and Fridays creates a direct pathway to hell and may also bring bad luck.
The Bosnian people treasure this and refrain from washing clothing on these days since doing so could hypothetically open a direct path to hell, which I must agree, would be pretty unsettling.
