For Good Luck, Keep These New Year’s Superstitions In Mind
Every January 1st, resolutions are made to do better in the new year. Many superstitions are observed by those who believe that they will contribute to having a prosperous 365 days.
People are superstitious about what they wear, eat, or do. Here are examples of New Year’s Superstitions you should definitely think about following.
Smash plates
It took the good people of Denmark to introduce the smashing of plates for good luck on New Year’s Day.
Breaking dishes against a neighbor’s door, provided that you are both observing the same annual custom, will chase away any evil spirits and help prevent the spread of unhappy vibes.
Step only with your right foot
It is more common than most would assume that many people follow the custom of stepping onto a boat with your right foot first. Putting your best foot forward.
Not only is it for sailors, but many places consider the left foot to be the unluckier of the two.
Look out your bedroom window
This one is only about the ladies, sorry guys. In the dating world, it is suggested that if a single woman wakes up seeing a man out her window, she can expect a ring by year’s end.
Oddly there is nothing to suggest the seen male also gets lucky.
Throw water on your friends
It is safe to say that if friends throw water on each other, with permission, for good fortune, nothing will break up that bond. This tradition is not for January 1st but for New Year’s in Thailand, a holiday called Songkran.
Other folk tales suggest throwing water behind someone going on a trip.
Throw furniture out the window
Tourists of South Africa on New Year’s should be aware of what is done there to bring good fortune. Trust us because it is not confetti.
People who follow this annual tradition launch furniture and all other unused goods out of a window, signifying a new year where they will not hold onto grievances.
Be selective about your first houseguest
In Scotland and some regions of Northern England, citizens following this superstition will not answer their doors to just anyone.
According to local stories, people there should be looking for a tall, dark man as their first houseguest. He is alleged to be carrying specific gifts for good luck.
Burn your grievances away
Ecuador’s New Year’s Superstition involves burning away “Los Anos Viejos,” the old years, in English. This is to simulate using flames to deter demons.
December 31st, locals make dolls that look like scarecrows, with descriptions of their sins, and set fire to them in their front yards at midnight.
Eat 12 grapes in 12 seconds
Spain is one place where eating at midnight is both healthy and encouraged. It is believed there that eating a dozen grapes once the clock strikes twelve will bring good luck for every month of the year.
The color of the grapes for this superstition is of no significance.
Do 7 laps around the house
Where doing seven laps around the house for good luck as a New Year’s tradition comes from is unknown.
The number seven is widely believed to be a lucky one, especially in Western culture. This cardio workout is supposed to result in good fortune for everyone that lives inside.
Find 12 round fruits
On New Year’s Day, it is customary in the Philippines for people to gather twelve round fruits. The shape carries more importance than the type.
They are supposed to be round because coins are and bring wealth. There are twelve selected, each representing a month of the year.
Wear All-White Clothes
Brazilians are no strangers to partying, especially on New Year’s Eve. If someone finds their way there that night, the only rule is that the outfit should be white.
Glamorous and extravagant ensembles are how people dress when celebrating, but not here. White brings luck, wonder, and adventure.
Drag an empty suitcase around
Colombians add to the list of odd New Year’s rituals designed to bring good fortune and prosperity. People there annually run around their block while dragging empty suitcases.
The logic behind this strange superstition is whoever does this will be blessed with a year of travel and new experiences.
Ring a bell 108 times
Ringing in the New Year in Japanese culture is literally how the special occasion is celebrated. Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times to bring everyone a life of cleanliness.
They are rung that specific number of times because it is how many desires humans are thought to have.
Sip soup for the soul
Soup is a dish that many believe is soothing to the body and the mind and is a dish that is more enjoyable during the cold days of winter.
In South Korea, those that eat “tteokguk,” made of broth, rice cakes, meat, and vegetables, will enjoy a year of good fortune.
Wear polka dots
Coins are symbols of good luck in the Philippines. People there believe that round objects, like polka dots on clothes, represent the currency of the same shape. This December 31st custom eliminates procrastination about wardrobe.
No place on Earth would refuse a lifetime of wealth, abundance, and success.
Avoid crying
Some superstitions that are followed seem odd, but not this one. Regardless of the lingering effects of activities the night before, people are to avoid crying on January 1st.
The thought is that shedding tears on that day will set a negative tone for the rest of the year.
Watch the weather
Anyone looking to replace the local meteorologist has their chance on New Year’s Day.
Southern winds are prosperous, while northern ones are bad luck. If they blow from the east, there will be famine. Wind from the west brings an abundance of milk and fish for the year.
Kiss someone at midnight
Nobody is breaking news by suggesting people kiss at midnight on December 31st. The reason it should be done is guaranteed to surprise you.
Locking lips at New Year’s parties is common, but if you get goosebumps from the person you kissed, your year will be filled with love.
Wake up early on New Year’s Day
Without casting judgment on what activities went down on New Year’s Eve, doing this superstition on January 1st in the morning might be more challenging.
Waking up early on the first day of the new year is a Polish tradition that believes it will bring a year of good rest.
Eat black-eyed peas and collard greens
People from the Southern States believe their annual tradition of eating black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year’s Day is a recipe for a year full of good fortune and prosperity.
These ingredients are staples for a Southerner and might cure the ill effects of partying on December 31st.
Don’t clean your house
Anybody who is not feeling their best on the morning of January 1st or those people who are allergic to house cleaning should avoid tidying up that day.
Chinese mythology believes sweeping, doing laundry, and other household chores will be getting rid of the good luck accumulated throughout the year.
Smash Pomegranates
Do not be lured or tempted by the holiday color of ripe pomegranates. Followers of Turkish traditions believe in smashing the brightly colored fruit on January 1st.
This messy one connects the number of seeds from the beatdown of the defenseless food with the promise of a prosperous year.
Make sure your wallet is full of money
How many people are out there who do not want their wallets to be full of money? As long as the person’s billfold bulges with paper money, not coins, they can expect a year of financial wealth.
New Year’s Eve is usually reserved for losing cash, not saving it.
Fill up your cupboards
Most grocery stores are closed on January 1st. If you do not regularly visit them leading up to the first day of the year, this is one reason you should start doing it.
It is thought that empty cupboards of food mean a year of financial and other struggles.
Make a lot of noise
Following this annual superstition is not possible without good relationships between neighbors. In plenty of countries and cultures around the world, firecrackers and other noise-makers are a New Year’s birthright.
Firing off objects that safely produce sounds of tremendous calamity and commotion is said to ward off evil spirits.
Avoid eating Lobster and Chicken
Anyone who eats Lobster or Chicken should avoid reading any further. Consuming either dish on January 1st will interfere with plans for a prosperous new year.
Chickens have wings, so the thought is good luck can fly away. Lobsters walk backward, and eating them holds the consumer back.
Toss a coin
Money and coins are a common theme for people who celebrate a brand new year, regardless of country or culture. In Romania, tossing a coin is done with the hopes it will bring good luck.
Coin-holders are to throw a coin into the river for 365 days of prosperity.
Be born on January 1st
To be born on the first day of the year is widely considered to bring about a pretty good life, have it be with a future career or family.
In addition, January is the luckiest month, and in some cultures, babies born that day will forever live a charmed life.
Wash away bad luck
Burmese people believe wholeheartedly that bad luck can be washed away on New Year’s Day. The quirky superstition can involve a shower, bathtub, river, garden hose, or sprinkler.
Although their celebration of New Year’s is in April, this tradition is part of a water festival during the Buddhist holiday.
Eating cake is King in New Orleans and France on New Year’s
This New Orleans superstition originated in France. Eating King cake on New Year’s, a donut-like dessert, represents an acceptance and acknowledgment of the end of the Christmas season. A slice with a coin means extra wealth and good fortune.
Bolivians also believe coins baked into cakes bring prosperity.
