New Years day traditions and beliefs?

Question

Whar are some New Year's Day traditions and beliefs?

Answer 1

Breakage: Avoid breaking things on that first day lest wreckage be part of your year. Also, avoid crying on the first day of the year lest that activity set the tone for the next twelve months

Money: Do not pay back loans or lend money or other precious items on New Year's Day. To do so is to guarantee you'll be paying out all year.

New Clothes: Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.

Work: Make sure to do -- and be successful at -- something related to your work on the first day of the year, even if you don't go near your place of employment that day. Limit your activity to a token amount, though, because to engage in a serious work project on that day is very unlucky.

Black-Eyes Peas: A tradition common to the Southern part of the United States says that the eating of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the one doing the dining

A person who lives alone might place a lucky item or two in a basket that has a string tied to it, and then place the basket just outside the front door before midnight. After midnight, the lone celebrant hauls in his catch, being careful to bring the item across the doorjamb by pulling the string rather than by reaching out to retrieve it and thus breaking the plane of the threshold.

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. Don't so much as shake out a rug or take the empties to the recycle bin. Some people soften this rule by saying it's okay to remove things from the home on New Year's Day, provided that something else has been brought in first.

Just as the clock strikes twelve the head of the house should open the door in order to allow the Old Year to pass out and the New Year to come in.

Kissing at midnight: To ensure that those affections and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.

Stocking Up: The New Year must not be seen in with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders must be topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the place to guarantee a prosperous year.

Paying Off Bills: The new year should not be begun with the household in debt, so checks should be written and mailed off prior to January 1st. Likewise, personal debts should be settled before the New Year arrives.



Here are some sites with New Years Day Beliefs/Superstitions:

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/newyears/beliefs.asp
http://www.oldsuperstitions.com/new_years.html
http://www.globalpsychics.com/amusing-you/superstition/new-years.shtml

Answer 2

I rejoice xmas it truly is the most holy of the Norse holiday journeys. I rejoice the starting up of wintry climate and the suitable of the Wild Hunt, which is composed of a close round New year's or so. It lasts for 12 days and the first is termed mom evening, even as each of the female ancestors and the Goddesses are commemorated. Then everynight afterwards I make an providing to Odin, and that i also do a faining to Skadi who's the Goddess of wintry climate. i do not do the xmas log component considering i don't have a hearth, nor do I do the tree component considering I easily have pets that could want to love not something more suitable than to get all into it (ferrets + xmas tree adorns = not a fairly sight). yet I do devour plenty LOL.

Answer 3

My family gets up at 6am on new years, sits in front of the tv and watches the rose parade while eating breakfast and munchies. In the afternoon we usually go and do something as a family like go to a movie or shopping at the mall, just something fun and quiet. We don't have a huge party or anything like that! But it's nice anyway!

Answer 4

On New Years, my family always gets together and plays games. Then we watch the ball drop. We also sometimes go to New York where my aunt lives to watch the ball drop. Going up there has been more of our tradition now...

Answer 5

Eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day brings good fortune in the new year!

Also, do at midnight what you want to be doing throughout the new year. I used to stay up and play a musical instrument; nowadays, I am asleep!

Answer 6

Since the real new year is the solstice, December 31st really doesn't mean that much. People just like to celebrate it, we should celebrate other 31sts throughout the year, or maybe the mercury new year (every 88 days).

Answer 7

In my Peruvian gatherings, we have a person hold as many grapes in their mouths as possible. The next person has to beat that number to win. I am not sure what this game is suppose to represent but we always do it at New Years.

Answer 8

My Grandma always said, what you are doing at midnight, is what you will be doing the whole year. So I say, Make sure it is something you really enjoy....

Answer 9

New years resolutions.