New Year Lucky Things to Do – New Year’s Eve Traditions

New Years Eve and New Year’s day are surrounded by traditions and superstitions.  After all, it is the start of a New Year. According to these myths & superstitions, we’re giving you a list of 20 things you can do to ensure good luck in the new year.

1.  Go grocery shopping:  Having a full fridge or pantry is supposed to ensure you have abundance in the New Year. Make sure and purchase New Year’s Lucky fruits.  Please read the rest of this blog first so you know what items to add to your grocery list!
2. Visit an ATM machine:  Debit cards in your wallet won’t do the trick.  You need to have cash in your wallet going into the New Year to bring prosperity.
3. Plan your menu:  Don’t eat chicken, turkey or beef on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Chicken and turkey scratch backwards and cows stand still – no one wants to go in either direction heading into the New Year, ah and don’t forget to avoid crabs – which walk sideways or lobsters which swim backwards.  The thought is to move forward (progress,) so stick to pork, lamb, fish, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters or scallops. We have lots more info on New Years lucky foods if you’re interested.
4. Open window policy:  Open your windows and doors just after midnight to let the old year out, and the New Year in.
5. Kiss at midnight:  This will ensure affection in the coming year.
6. Eat 12 grapes at midnight:  12 represents one for each month in the New Year.  Make a wish as you eat each one.  If you bight into a sour one, that may mean that particular month will be a difficult one for you.
7. Make noise: Firecrackers, noise makers or even banging pots and pots is said to scare away any evil spirits that may have taken up residence in your home. This is the reason church bells are often rung at midnight.
8. Pop a bottle of champagne:  Popping the cork makes noise, and the bubbles go up from the bottle of the glass, symbolizing things looking up in the new year. Toast to hope & luck in the future. (interesting fact, toasting can be traced back to the Greeks and Romans when they lifted their pitchers of wine in celebration after winning a battle. The host of the party would drink the wine first to make sure that it was not poisoned.)
9. Eat a bowl of beans: Black-eyed peas or lentils are at the top of the list for lucky foods, but all beans will work. Beans are said to symbolize coins which will  bring money in the new year, and they “swell” when you cook them, another sign for abundance.
10. Eat your greens:  Greens are said to “Show you the money!” Cooked collard, spinach, cabbage and kale are all said to represent paper money. Germans eat lots of sauerkraut, Danish like their kale sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar while in the U.S., collards are quite popular. It’s certainly easy enough to throw some spinach or kale into your bowl of black-eyed peas or lentils.  Perhaps Gas-X should be on your grocery list as well.
11. Don’t use any sharp objects on New Years day: (no knives, scissors, etc.) or you will “cut” your luck for the New Year.
12. Don’t do laundry, wash your hair or clean the house:  Theory is you don’t want to wash away luck or set the tone for a year of hard work. Also you don’t want to “sweep” your new found luck out the door.
13. Nothing leaves the house on New Years day:  Nothing goes out, unless you want people to be leaving you all year and you want to be paying and giving things away all year. Don’t even take out the trash.
14. Don’t cry:  Be happy and in a good mood, so that will carry into the New Year.  If you cry, you may feel more sadness than happiness in the coming year.
15. Pick your underwear color carefully:  Red – A year of romance and passion. Blue – A year of good health. Green – A year of better luck. Pink – A year of luck in love. White – A year of happiness, peace, and joy. Yellow – A year of prosperity.
16. Pick your outfit: Most popular colors worn on New Year Eve are red for love or white for happiness.
17. Do Something Successful:  You should do something productive, something that is in line with your goals on this day, setting the tone for the rest of the year.  Consider exercise, menu planning, budgeting or even a little work. How about making that list of New Year’s resolutions?
18. Replace dead indoor plants:  Don’t keep last year’s lucky with you.  Throw away plants that aren’t doing well and replace them with new ones.
19. Pack your bags and walk around the block:  For the travel-obsessed, walking out of your house with luggage open, or taking your luggage around your block, will bring you many travel opportunities in the upcoming year.
20. Buy a horseshoe:  Sleep with a horseshoe under your pillow on New Year’s Eve for good luck.

As you can see, for us superstitious sorts, New Year’s Day offers the chance go totally nuts with odd New Years Traditions and Superstitions.