New Year’s Folklore

For some people, January 1st sneaks up on them. Others have been prepared since Thanksgiving. If you live in a family-like mine, you grew up believing in “strange” superstitions about how to start off the new year. Granted, my family celebrates the Lunar New Year as well, which has a certain air of tradition that comes along with it. However, the new year on the Gregorian Calendar is just as important to us.

The New Year signifies a fresh start and is an opportunity to let go of the past and bring yourself some sense of closure. I was taught growing up that how I spend my first day of the new year will be an indicator of how the rest of my year will go. Therefore, I was strongly discouraged from doing things like crying, getting into arguments, or being negative in any way on January first and whatever day Lunar New Year happened to fall on that year. It is always one of the few days in the year where my family gets along, or tries to. 

Like in many immigrant households, education is strongly valued in mine. On New Years’, my mother would always make me do at least one page out of a math workbook and read at least one chapter out of a book. It was supposed to be a sign of my academic success in the year, but I have to give myself some credit for all the nights I stayed up and the effort I put into my assignments as well. In retrospect, it is almost like a form of manifestation--you set your intentions on the first day and as long as you put the work in to achieve your goals, then you will find yourself successful. 

One of the most well-known New Year’s traditions is to kiss someone at midnight, which some believe is supposed to secure you luck in your relationship for the next twelve months. However, if you didn’t get a chance to kiss someone at midnight, I wouldn’t worry too much about it!

Another superstition that is common in Latin America is carrying around an empty suitcase. Apparently, it is a sign to the universe that you are looking for a year full of adventure and travel. If anyone did this at the beginning of 2020, they might be rethinking their actions for this year. 

Food plays a significant role in many cultures and traditions. In the Southern United States, people believe that eating green foods will bring you money, and peas specifically represent prosperity. In Spain, they have a tradition of eating twelve grapes at midnight, one for each month of the year. If you finish them all before the clock strikes 12:01, good luck is coming your way. 

There are even some foods that people think you should avoid on New Years’, such as lobster and chicken. Since lobsters are capable of moving backward, eating one could cause setbacks in your life. Similarly, chickens can scratch backward, so you are discouraged from eating both. Eating any animals that have wings could cause your good luck to fly away. (Any vegans or vegetarians out there right now should have nothing to worry about.) 

Usually, New Year’s Eve parties are loud and boisterous, but there is actually good reason for this besides the fact that they’re fun. Loud sounds are thought to get rid of evil spirits and bad energy. For instance, in China and other parts of Southeast Asia, firecrackers and lion dancing are meant to ward off anything bad. In the Western world, there are party blowers and poppers and countless cheers to welcome the new year with.

Another tradition that my parents made me participate in was cleaning. Legend has it that cleaning on the first day of the year can get rid of all the negative energy in your house. I have to say, out of all the superstitions, I totally believe this one. It is always so satisfying to organize your room and know exactly where everything is. Even if it’s not a special occasion, cleaning is just something you should do regardless to help clear your mind and the space you occupy. 

Even so, there are people that struggle with finding the energy or motivation to clean, because it can totally be a lot. Well, you’re also in luck! Some interpret doing laundry, washing dishes, or taking out the trash as a way of purging your life and “washing away” your luck. This contradiction just goes to show that sometimes it’s not about what you do, but the mindset that you choose to enter the new year with. If you enter thinking the year is going to be worse than the last, of course it’s going to be. Instead, focus on all the good that happened in the past, let go of all the bad, and be ready to welcome the new year with everything the universe has to offer you.