Do you every wonder why we light fireworks and cheer in the New Year? Well I found some answers to those little traditions we have, and some new ones you may not have known about.
- Kissing in the new year- We kiss those nearest and dearest to us not only to share a moment of celebration with our favorite people, but also to ensure those affections and ties will continue throughout the next 12 months, to fail to smooch your significant others at the stoke of twelve would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.
- Stocking up: The new year must not be seen with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders must me topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the home to ensure prosperity
- Paying of Bills: The new year should not be begun with the household in debt, so checks should be written and mailed before Jan. 1st. Likewise, personal debt should be repaid before the New Year arrives.
- First Footing: The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year you’re about to have. Ideally he should be dark-haired, tall, and good looking. Blondes and Red heads are considered bad luck, and female “first footers” should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household.
- Nothing Goes Out: Nothing - absolutely nothing, not even garbage - is to leave the house on the first day of the year. If you have presents to deliver on New Year’s Day, leave them in the car overnight… People sometimes soften this rule by saying it’s okay to remove things from the house as long as something else has been brought in first. Something must be added to the home before anything may be subtracted from it.
- Food: Eating of Black-eyed peas on the New Years Day will attract both general good luck (financial in particular) to the one doing the dining. Other “Lucky” foods are lentil soup (because it looks like coins), pork (because poultry scratches backwards, a cow stands still, but a pig roots forward, so… those who dine on pork will be moving forward in the new year), and sauerkraut (probably because it goes well with pork).
- Work: Do something related to your work -and be successful at it - on the first day of the year, even if you do not go near your place of work. Limit your activity to a token amount, though, because to engage in a serious work project on that day is very unlucky. Also do not do laundry , lest a member of the family be “washed away” (die) in the upcoming months.
- New Clothes: wear something new on Jan. 1st to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.
- Letting the Old Year out: At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. He must leave before the New Year can come in, so doors are flung open to assist him.
- Loud Noises : Make as much noise as possible! Your not just celebrating; your scaring away evil spirits, so do a darned good job of it!
Do you have any New Year traditions? I have a few... The kissing rule is a favorite, and my Grandma Lil' always made a black-eye pea stew (with ham). Both I plan to continue. Another important one is my wedding anniversary. 12/31/04. When I was a kid, we used to write our resolutions down and share them at breakfast New Year's morning. I can't wait until my kids are old enough for this one. Please share your traditions, I would love to know what you all do to ring in the New Year.
9 comments:
Those are interesting. I don't really have any traditions but this year I feel like taking it easy.
Those are cool. Where did you fine that list? We always had strawberry waffles for dinner. Yum. Happy Anniversary Wed.
Cute! A great excuse to go shopping. LOL
That was a cool list! We don't really have any traditions :(...but maybe we should get some!
Oh, I forgot to share. Filipinos do some of the same, but we also wear polk dots and fill our pockets and purses with coins to ensure a prosperous new year. The kids also jump at midnight as high as they can, so they grow taller. I guess Filipinos are typically short, so they wish to have their children be taller. We don't do black eyed peas, but we do eat round fruit and for some reason, my mom never swept the floor on New Years. I guess I should ask why?!
this is adopted from our neighbors to the south. we have plenty of grapes handy and at the stroke of midnight, each time the clock dings you have to stick a grape in. you are supposed to get a wish for each grape. it is pretty dang funny and the kids think it is great too. as long as no one chokes.
On New Years we always decorate with those colorful string paper stuff that is all curly. As kids we LOVED doing this (stringing it everywhere) and I still do it in my own home with my boys. On New Years Day we just have lots of fun snack/appetizer foods out and watch football. Not too exciting. I also LOVE watching the Rose Parade. It was fun reading all those things about New Years.
Besides I think 2 of them I've never heard of the rest! I usually end up in bed before midnight which is funny because I am totally a night owl and I usually stay up past midnight every other day. I guess New Year is not important to me and if I'm at home kinda boring! Interesting superstitions though...Happy early anniversary!
Since we have had kids, we always spend it with them, kinda want to ring in the New Year with them rather than without...this year I think we are hangin out at a neighbors, we also don't like to be out on the roads on new Years....Happy New Year and Anniversary!!
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