Tsumekiri no Hi (Nail-Cutting Day)

What Is Nail-Clipping Day?

January 7th is "Tsumekiri no Hi" (Nail-Clipping Day) in Japan, traditionally the day to cut your nails for the first time in the new year. Since long ago there has been a custom called "nanakusa-zume" (seven-herb nails): if you soak your nails in water steeped with the seven herbs, or in the water used to boil them, and cut them once they are soft, you are said to avoid catching colds that year. Rather than a day established by a particular organization, it is a seasonal custom tied to Nanakusa no Hi.

The Custom of Nanakusa-zume

Nanakusa-zume has been handed down together with the seven-herb porridge of January 7th.

• Nanakusa water: People dipped their fingertips in water steeped with the seven herbs, or in the boiling water, before cutting their nails. Nails that have absorbed water become softer and easier to cut cleanly, which gave the custom a practical side as well.
• Hatsuzume: The first nail-cutting of the new year was called "hatsuzume" and was meant to be done on the day of the seven herbs. In some areas people are said to have waited until this day, not cutting their nails during the New Year holidays.

Caring for Nails in the Dry Season

In winter the air is dry and nails tend to split more easily. The custom of softening nails in nanakusa water before cutting them matches the modern tip of cutting nails when they are soft, such as after a bath. Nails are a hardened form of skin, made mainly of a protein called keratin. They are said to grow around 0.1 mm a day, with fingernails growing faster than toenails.

Fun Facts About Nail Clipping

• "Don't cut your nails at night": One theory holds that the Japanese saying "if you cut your nails at night, you won't be at your parents' deathbed" was a warning against using blades in the dark in the days before good lighting.
• Lever-type clippers: The lever-type nail clippers common today are said to have first been patented in the United States in the late 19th century. Before that, nails were trimmed with small knives or scissors.
• A rhyme about weekdays: In Britain, an old rhyme tells fortunes by the day of the week you cut your nails: "Cut them on Monday, cut them for health; cut them on Tuesday, cut them for wealth..."
• Avoid cutting too short: Cutting straight across while leaving a little of the white edge, then lightly rounding the corners (a "square-off" shape), is often recommended to help prevent ingrown nails.

Ways to Spend Nail-Clipping Day

• Do your first nail-cutting of the year when your nails are soft, such as after a bath
• After cutting, smooth the edges with a file and moisturize your fingertips with hand cream
• Replace a dull pair of nail clippers or clean the blades
• Share the old January 7th customs with your family over a bowl of seven-herb porridge

Like Nanakusa no Hi, Nail-Clipping Day marks the return from the New Year holidays to everyday life. Why not tidy up your fingertips and start the year feeling refreshed?