Upon noticing that you’ve gotten a haircut, Bulgarians like to wish you a Happy New Haircut!
It’s sort of like Happy Birthday for your hair. I think it’s a charming tradition. I also think it sounds unbelievably funny in English because it’s just not something we say to each other in the States. Just to be clear, I think it’s funny and wonderful. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
This said, today I’ve had a number of people both students and colleagues wish me a Happy New Haircut.
Here’s the thing, I didn’t get my haircut.
I just did my hair–like instead of putting back in a bun. Specifically a sock bun. I’m obsessed with the sock bun.
Anyhow, this morning I dried my hair with my hairdryer and then applied a little hairspray. Watch out world!
The first time it happened, I just said thanks but by the third Happy New Haircut, I said: thanks but I didn’t get it cut. I just did it.
Then I was embarrassed. A lot. Why would I say that?! What was I thinking?! I should clearly just keep saying thank-you and this should probably be a lesson for me to do my hair more often.
The problem is that it’s winter and my bed is so cozy in the mornings and sock buns are so easy that I feel no real compulsion to get out of bed. Maybe today was just what I needed.
I think you were misled by your Bulgarian teachers. We dont say Happy Haircut, we say Happy Hairdo (честита прическа, а не честита подстрижка).
This said – congratulations on the many compliments, it seems that hairspray is your thing!
Прическа is translated roughly into hairstyle. Haircut is подстригване. Although “Честита прическа” is used mostly for significant changes in the hairstyle, like after a haircut or maybe a change in color.
@Svetlina and @I.V. Ah good to know these Bulgarian phrases. The funny part is that because I teach English my classroom is an English immersion zone–meaning English only. So it’s often great fun to hear students “translate” popular Bulgarian sayings on the spot. I think Happy New Haircut is one of these. They say it with so much joy and in the States it’s just not the same. Someone might notice and say: oh did you get your hair cut? or nice haircut. But that’s it.
Funny you should write that… I was a pony-tail kind of girl for a while and it has happened to me when I blow try it and makes it nice – people (here in Chicago) ask “Did you get your hair cut?” to which I have responded “nah I just washed it”
Don’t think it is embarrassing at all – if anything this is almost purely Bulgarian sense of humor…
P.S. As a Bulgarian living in the US I love reading your blog – so many times I parallel your experiences to mine – you would be amazed how similar they are in some ways;)