Kissing your true love at midnight, sipping a sip or two of champagne and then stumbling over the words of the first two verses of “Auld Lang Syne” are almost the extension of our modern December 31 moving celebration . from the old year to the year. But cultures around the world over the centuries have created a wide range of other means of observation.
Open these doors and windows
All the doors and windows of the house should be open at midnight to publicize the old year, which paves the way for a promising new year to come in with a fresh start without pollution.
There is a lot of noise that can help you
Making as much noise as possible at midnight will help drive out the old year and evil spirits that may persist at home or in life. According to this tradition, the Devil and his servants really hate loud noises.
Protected by a lemon
Apparently, evil spirits don’t like lemons either. Some legends advise us to hang a lemon on our door on January 1 to avoid these spirits.
Stay strong in everything
Nothing, not even rubbish, should leave the house on the first day of the year. Folklore holds that anything that leaves home on January 1 creates a momentum and direction that will be maintained throughout the year.
On the other hand, something that comes into the house will set a reverse and positive trend for the year. To this end, some cultures believe that it is best to tie a cord to a basket, place some items in it, and place it right on the door before midnight. After starting the first day of the new year, they throw the basket back into the house.
First person to visit
Although the description of the desired person varies widely, many popular customs speak of the importance of having the right person to be the first to enter the home after midnight on December 31st. Most traditions hold that the preferred person is a man, not a resident. there, and carrying small gifts like fuel for the fire, bread for the table, salt for the taste, and a coin for everything else. And you have to ask for admission, enter the house before any resident leaves, stay inside just long enough to greet everyone and walk out a different door.
If the conditions prescribed for the “first footer” are met, the house and those who live in it will enjoy a bright new year.
Not a good day to wash clothes
Those who wash their clothes on the first day of a new year are said to be at risk of washing themselves out of the good luck they may have experienced over the next year.
For some reason, bathing or showering on January 1 doesn’t have the same detrimental impact.
On the other hand, new clothes
Although the first of the year is not a day for laundry, according to folk standards, dressing in new clothes will have the opposite effect, especially in the wardrobe department. Wearing new clothes on January 1 is rumored to lead to a succession of tailoring updates throughout the year.
Something in your pocket
But these new clothes should not have empty pockets. Traditions hold that an empty pocket situation on the first day of the new year will lead to similar conditions the rest of the year.
No debts
While it may be a goal beyond the reach of many of us, entering the debt-free new year is an essential goal in some folk traditions. A modern, more affordable version looks for all outstanding bills before midnight, or at least checks by mail.
And in the closets
Just as pockets should not be empty on January 1, closets, pantries, and pantries should not be bare. Try food on the first day of the year to make sure you have plenty of shops and tables throughout the year.
Lucky meals
The Dutch tradition of Pennsylvania dictates that you eat a meal of pork and sauerkraut on January 1 to ensure the good luck of the new year.
Superstition suggests that a pig is rooted forward, eating pork on New Year’s Day helps a person move forward. Instead, chickens are scratched backwards in a direction no one wants to move and cows tend to be still most of the time.
It has also been said that green and leafy vegetables such as cabbage, cabbage, dandelion, kale, lettuce, mint, mustard and spinach will bring good luck in the new year if they eat first. After all, they are the color of money.
Stuck in a vicious cycle
Much of the superstition surrounding New Year’s Day relates to setting the pattern for life for the rest of the year. In this sense, we may all want to be aware of the activities we do on January 1, to be sure that these are things we want to do many times over the next year.
Don’t break anything
Regardless of what you choose to do with the first day of the year, try not to break anything during the day. You don’t want debris and havoc to be a part of the whole year, as is suggested in some traditions.
And, if it breaks something, don’t cry for it
Similarly, superstition holds that the tears shed on January 1 are a preview of a sad year to come.
Work, but not too much
You could see a productive year at your job if you do something related to that job on the first day of the year. But, keep it to the fullest, because of this little folklore about setting a trend for the year.
A bit of weather folklore
As we do for several days throughout the year, we have superstitions about the weather on January 1: if the wind blows from the south, this year will come very good weather. North winds are a warning about a year of bad weather. From the east: scarcity, disasters and calamities. And, from the west: the death of someone important.