Being a redhead is not a great thing to be on New Year's Day. Why? Well, because blonde and redheaded woman are portended to be bad omens if they are the first people to set foot through your home's threshold on the first day of the New Year. Of course, blond men or redheaded gentlemen are not bad omens; it's just the women.
If you think this is silly, wait until you read the rest of these New Year's superstitions. If you're one to practice ritual and superstition, you won't want to miss a single one of these to bring you prosperously and joyously into the New Year.
Eat Right for the New Year
There are actually many superstitions surrounding the New Year and food, and many of them are dependent upon what area of the world in which you live to bring you good fortune, luck or money. For example, in the deep South, cabbage and black-eyed peas are said to bring luck for the New Year. Many people will try to choke down just one spoonful so as to keep with the traditional superstition, even when cabbage and black-eyed peas aren't most folks' favorite meals.
The reason for the black-eyed peas is actually rooted in the Southern United States history though. In the Southern US history, particularly around the Texas area, black-eyed peas were fed to the cattle to beef them up and keep them healthy in an inexpensive way. During a particularly harsh winter one year, no supplies were coming in or out, the settlers were left to survive by eating the black-eyed peas originally intended for the cattle. The fact the black-eyed peas sustained them through this difficult winter is said to be a stroke of fortune or good luck, so the New Year's Day superstition carries over the black-eyed peas eaten on the holiday will bring money and luck.
Pucker Up
It's nearly impossible to think about New Year's Eve without wondering who you're going to kiss at midnight, but do you know why you're supposed to kiss someone at the precise moment of the beginning of another year?
This one goes along the lines of many other superstitions for the first day of the upcoming year, and that is: whatever you do on the first day of the New Year sets the path for the rest of the year. Therefore, if you kiss your true love at midnight on New Year's Eve/Day, then you will live in love with that person throughout the next year; by contrast, if you do not kiss your true love at midnight, you will not be given as many opportunities to live and love with that person in the upcoming year. Better safe than sorry, but you might want to be careful who you do kiss when the clock strikes twelve!
Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be
While this might be good advice at any time during the year, the superstition has it that if you lend money on the first day of the New Year, you'll be handing out money all year long. However, if you borrow money on New Year's Day, you'll be setting yourself up to have to borrow all year long too. The best way to start the New Year on solid financial footing is to not pay any bills, spend any money, and be sure to have a little money (cash) in your pocket throughout the day to ensure good financial fortune for the next 365 days.
Work a Little, Pick a Little, Play a Little
Don't wash clothes or dishes on the first holiday of the season or else you'll be toiling all year. However, if you are in business, you want to do a little bit of your usual work, but do it successfully, so you set the ton for a successful and prosperous work year. However, you don't want to do too much work, or else you set the tone for the work year to be overwhelming and busy. Goodness, this New Year's superstition stuff is tough!
Get Your House in Order
There are things you should do for your home on the first day of the year to ensure you live prosperously. First, be sure to make lots of noise at midnight, so you chase off any evil spirits or bad energy. Noisemakers, cheering, firecrackers all work. Next, be sure on New Year's Day to open all doors and windows and let the old musty and tired year out and let the new and fresh and happy year in. However, don't let anything go out on the first day of the year, like trash or furniture or anything else.
Absolutely nothing should leave your home on New Year's Day or else one superstition holds that you will lose everything or continue losing things throughout the year. In fact, you aren't even supposed to leave your own home on New Year's Day until someone else has broken the threshold of your home first by coming over for a visit. But again, make sure it's not a redheaded or blonde woman who breaks your threshold--best to stick with a good looking and successful man, since superstition has it that's the luckiest visitor for that day.
Start Your Own Traditions and Superstitions
Many families have their own quirky superstitions for holidays, and New Year's Day is one that is steeped in history, tradition, nostalgia and superstition. It's likely your family has their own superstitions for the holiday that you will want to follow, and if you enjoy being a little cruel to your progeny, you can start your own superstitions for your children and grandchildren to follow too.
Mostly, though, just try to have a successful and happy day and set the tone for the New Year to be a successful and happy one.
Michelle L Devon - ~~Michelle Devon has 15 years of writing and over a decade of editorial experience, working with hundreds of publications and ...
Join the Conversation