7 New Year’s Superstitions

7 New Years Superstitions – can they bring Good Luck?

By Twinty Karat adapted from an original article by Chitraparna Sinha.

New Year resolutions and New Year’s traditions are common and popular among people in both Western and Eastern countries. It is believed that resolutions taken at the stroke of midnight should be followed throughout the New Year to bring positive change in life. Similarly, the things we do on January 1^st determines what will happen for the rest of the year. These New Year’s superstitions are endearing beliefs that are supposed to bring good luck in your life.

Here is a brief lowdown on several other popular and some unpopular beliefs and New Year superstitions:

Invite the New Year Carol Singer Inside

It was a practice to invite the first carol singer who comes to your house on the first day morning. The singer must be admitted at the front door, conducted all through the house and let out at the back door. Doing so brings good luck throughout the year. A 1923 recorded belief in Kent says that this first man or boy should have dark complexion. He must ring the front door bell and the door must be opened to him. He must walk through the house and out of the back door without holding conversation with anyone.

Never Take Something Out Before Bringing Something In

On the first day, do not take anything out of the house before any member of the house or any guest brings something in. If the opposite happens, it means that the whole year the house will have dwindling wealth, health and prosperity. In earlier times, members of the house carried a piece of coal inside the house for the purpose of preventing the misfortunes which would otherwise attach to them. It is considered unlucky and dangerous to throw light out of the house or even sweep out the dust. This would mean that the good fortune of the family is swept out of the house.

Be Careful With Money Dealings

Be careful with money

It is considered inauspicious to pay money to anyone on the first day of the New Year as it would mean continuing disbursement of payment throughout the year. Empty pockets or an empty cupboard portend a year of bad luck. Instead, if you have some money in your pocket on New Year’s Day, you will be lucky all year. Similarly, don’t keep any unpaid bills before the year ends. Complete all existing payments and start the New Year afresh.

Oh how most of us wish we could pay off all old bills by the end of the year! With house payments, car payments, insurance payments, utility payments, and on and on, our payments seem to never be paid off.

Don’t Speak Ill about the Past Year

Don’t think about the year gone by or speak ill about the passing year in the New Year as it is believed to be unlucky for doing so because the negativity of the past year can come to haunt the current year. What this implies is let the bygone be bygones and start everything afresh.

A New Born Is Extremely Lucky

January 1st Baby - Good Luck for Life

If you were a baby born on 1^st January or anyone you know has that birthday, the person remains the luckiest throughout their lives in all aspects – personal and professional. Such people can never run out of their good luck.

Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate!

Do you know why there is so much of merrymaking on 31^st December, the last night of the year? Yes, we like to ring in the New Year with celebrations of the coming New Year, but some Catholics believe on New Year’s Eve, evil spirits and their attendants lurk around the corner to harm people. Those spirits hate loud noise and din, therefore, the Churches ring the bells exactly at midnight to scare the evil spirits away. So let your hair down and celebrate and make merry!

Kissing at Midnight

Kissing at Midnight for New Year's Luck

We kiss those dearest to us at midnight 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 year. To fail to kiss, smooch, or otherwise show affection to our significant others at the stroke of twelve would be to set the stage for a year of coldness and detachment.

These and several other New Year ‘lucky’ and ‘unlucky’ beliefs exist, especially in the Western countries. They are made for the advantage of the people so there is no harm in actually following them. If you notice carefully, we follow some of the beliefs diligently, even though unknowingly.

If you know of any new years day traditions or superstitions for new years we should know about or that we could incorporate into another article or add to this site please let us know.

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Reader Questions

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<p class= Joseph asks…

New Year’s Eve or Day Traditions and Superstitions – which one you chose?

1. Black-eyed peas and lentils eaten on New Year’s Day are said to bring riches and safety to the coming year

2. Wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve to bring luck

3. On New Year’s Eve Every door and window should be left open at midnight on to let the old year out

4. Make lots of noise at the stroke of midnight. Evil spirits attempt to come into the brand new year at this time – horns and whistles chase them away

5. On New Year’s eve Dancing around a tree (especially outside) ensures luck, love, and prosperity.

6. Kissing your spouse or significant other at midnight ensures that you will remain intimate with that person. To not kiss means a cold relationship for the year

7. A woman shouldn’t speak until a man says “Happy New Year.”

8. Any baby born on New Year’s Day has good luck the rest of his/her life. The baby also brings good luck to the family

9. Nothing goes out – not even the garbage. The flip version of this rule is that nothing goes out until something new comes in

10.Eating pork on New Year’s Day is lucky because pigs eat moving forward. Therefore, those who eat pork will move forward in the coming year.

11. fill in the blank

admin answers:

…interesting…how does one keep up with all of those…..
I am not the superstitious type and the only traditions I have on New Years is nursing my hangover, watching football, grubbing on some chow, and planning my attack of the next 12 months……

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<p class= Sandra asks…

NEW YEARS SUPERSTITIONS’ New Year is a time of beginning and thus something which, according to lore, needs

to be influenced favourably to ensure a good outcome.

Its bad luck to let a fire go out on New Year’s Eve.

You could ensure yourself good fortune by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on New Years!

To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year’s Day is declared to ensure luck in love and prosperity and freedom from ill health during the coming twelve months.
On New Year’s Day if, on rising, a girl should look out of her bedroom window and see a man passing by, she may reckon to be married before the year is finished.

Avoid crying on the first day of the year lest that activity set the tone for the next twelve months

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. The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year you’re about to have. This tradition is called First Footing. Ideally, he should be dark-haired, tall, and good-looking, and it would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts such as a lump of coal, a silver coin, a bit of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt.
The eating of black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular.
Do not do the laundry on New Year’s Day, lest a member of the family be ‘washed away’ (die) in the upcoming months.
Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.
Avoid crying on the first day of the year lest that activity set the tone for the next twelve months.
Make as much noise as possible at midnight. You’re not just celebrating; you’re scaring away evil spirits. (Church bells are rung on a couple’s wedding day for the same reason.)
Babies born on this day will always have luck on their side.

Wish you all a Happy and prosperous New Year for 2007..

admin answers:

A good collection Skycat. My Gran’s fav: Burn the Christmas tree on New Year’s day to burn away all the bad luck of the old year, and bring open the way for the new.
–That Cheeky Lad

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<p class= Ruth asks…

What superstitions do you have about the night between years?

In my country we must have money under the carpets and in our pockets (so that we will have money all year long), wear something red (good for your love life), make a wish at midnight because they come true and make sure that the first person that enters in our house in the new year is a man (women are supposed to bring bad luck). I’m curious what other people do in the night between years to make sure that the new year will be a good one!

admin answers:

In my country Chinese parent use to put some money into a red pocket and place it beneath the pillow of their children at the night before chinese new years,(will have good luck all the year long)we have to open the red pocket after a month.

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<p class= Sharon asks…

Any New Year superstitions?

every new year’s eve i wear red underwear. supposedly it brings good luck with your boyfriend/husband/love.

admin answers:

Eat black eyed peas AND for some reason I like to start off the new year in the middle of a good push-up, i don’t know exactly why but for some reason it gives me more optimism in thinking that I’ll improve more as an athlete in the upcoming year.
-also, gotta make sure all laundry is washed and dried, same with dishes

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One comment

Jame Swiggum

June 23, 2011

Thank you so much for making the effort to line all of this out for people. This particular article has been incredibly helpful in my opinion.

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7 New Year’s Superstitions