Start the New Year Off Right
In this week's episode, Episode 89 to be exact, I talked about New Year's Eve superstitions and myths, and I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the most important ones here in our blog just to make sure you fine people all kick off 2019 the right way. So here is a Cliff's Notes version of 15 of my favorite New Year's superstitions.
1. Underwear Matters!
Apparently the color of underwear you are wearing on New Year's Eve set the tone for your whole next year. Wearing yellow underwear attracts positive energy and a year of prosperity for the new year, while red underwear will bring a year of romance and passion. Blue underwear is said to bring a year of good health, green of a year of better luck that the previous year, white for a year of peace, joy and happiness, and pink for luck in love. In Italy they belied red underwear will bring you luck as well as make you fertile. If you happen to have polka dots or circles on your underwear, even better! The round shape symbolizes coins and money and will bring wealth your way in the coming year.
2. Ward Off Evil Spirits
Making a lot of noise right after midnight, say by banging together pots and pans, is said to help ward off evil spirits. Hanging a lemon in the doorway is also said to help ward off bad spirits .
3. Nothing Leaves!
Nothing is to be taken out of the house the first day of the year – not even garbage, or it is said that you will be “losing” things all year.
4. Sweep!
Sweeping the house just before midnight on New Year's Eve is said to get out all of the “negativity from the previous year
5. Fresh Linens
It’s also good luck to put clean sheets on the bed for New Year’s Eve
6. No Cleaning After Midnight!
No cleaning on New Year’s Day or you risk cleaning out your good luck. Don’t even take out the trash or do dishes!
7. Don’t do Laundry on New Year’s Day
They say that if you do your laundry, you will certainly wash off your luck or will face a year of hard work. Even more ominous, doing laundry on this day is also associated with facing a family member’s death!
8. Don’t cry on New Year’s Eve
Some Cultures believe that one should not be sad because that depression will follow you in the year to come
9. No empty pockets
There are people who insist that one should take care to avoid wearing clothes with empty pockets on New Year’s Eve since it may be a sign of very low or no income in the year to come. Also...
10. No Empty Wallet Either!
Have cash in your wallet to bring more money in the new year – an empty wallet means cash flow problems all year.
12. Make a wish
Write wishes on paper and burn them so they are fulfilled.
13. Burn Baby Burn
In Ecuador, people make effigies of straw, newspaper, old clothes and paper mache and are meant to represent people or events from the past year. In some cases, these effigies are stuffed with firecrackers then lit on fire and the tradition is to light the effigies on fire at midnight, as a way of shedding the old year and welcoming in the new.
14. Let the Right One In
Some cultures believe the first person to step into your house on New Years can make or break your luck. It should be a loved one with good intentions, or perhaps a child as they are pure of heart. Oh yes – and the first step into the home should be with the right foot. Some people also believe that the first visitor to enter the house on the first of January signifies the balance of marriage in the next 365 days. If a man enters your door then the husband will have more authority for the whole year and if a woman enters, then the wife will have complete control all year. So choose your visitors wisely
15. Work Hard to Play Hard
Last but certainly not least, if you want to guarantee a successful and lucrative year, then do some kind of hard work on December 31 and January 1.
Now that you are well educated about some superstitions associated with the New Year's, go ahead, party hard, make some noise, eat well and have a very Happy New Year!
