Hairline Safety

Russian President Boris Yeltsin, now recovering from pneumonia, is still far from hale and hearty. But worries were even greater when he had his heart surgery in November. Shortly after the operation, however, worried citizens felt reassured when Yeltsin’s wife, Naina, was spotted with a new haircut.

What did it mean?

Some Russian people believe that bad luck may follow if you shave or cut your hair when a family member is in danger. One Russian immigrant refused to cut his hair until his son arrived here safely. Even though all Russians do not share this belief, Mrs. Yeltsin’s hair appointment signaled that her husband’s condition was no longer critical.

Cutting or not cutting hair sometimes sets off social alarms. During the 1960s, many American teen-age boys refused to have haircuts as a protest against authority. This often enraged parents and school administrators. Conversely, in the early 1920s, women who bobbed their hair made a declaration of independence and frequently shocked their families. An 85-year-old woman recalls that as a child, she burst into tears when she first saw her mother in short hair.

Beliefs about when hair should be cut vary. In the early 1900s in the Ozarks, many people believed that for thick, fast growth, girls should cut their hair at the time of the new moon, whereas cutting hair in the dark of the moon might cause it to lose its shininess or become prematurely gray.

Folklorist Norine Dresser is the author of “Multicultural Manners” (Wiley, 1996). Contact her through Voices or by e-mail: [email protected]