Parents score good luck by having their kids' heads shaved

While China has some fantastic holidays and festivals, each year we can't help but look forward to the second day of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar in particular.

That day (today) marks the Longtaitou Festival, a magical day in which a mystical dragon finally raises its head and brings rain for the coming planting season as children from across China cry out in vain while getting tacky buzz-cuts, much to their parents' amusement.

The annual tradition is marked by photographers visiting barber shops around the country and snapping pictures of weeping children and their delighted parents who hope to leave the salon with some good luck for the coming year.

Enjoy all the photos of this year's cuteness, tears and carnage:

The Longtaitou Festival (translating to Dragon Raising its Head) is a traditional Chinese agricultural celebration based around appeasing the dragon, bringer of wind and rain.

Ways of appeasing said dragon include: eating pancakes and noodles and getting your head shaved. Meanwhile, sewing is absolutely forbidden (just in case you accidentally poke out the dragon's eye) and ashes are spread around the house, inside the house and around an earthen jug to invite the dragon to make it rain.

Over the years, the dragon has also developed a taste for the tears of young children.

Happy Longtaitou Festival!

[Images via NetEase / People's Daily / ECNS]

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