New Year’s Tradition Countdown

New Year’s Tradition Countdown

As we await the new year and prepare for midnight, there are many traditions worldwide to ensure a prosperous year of good luck. Some cultures base good luck on New Year’s foods, while others wear festive clothes. But all lead to a year of good luck, peace, or money.  

10 - Lucky Grapes

The first tradition involves eating 12 grapes, one at each stroke of midnight. Each grape represents a month out of the year. In some versions of this superstition, you sit under a table to receive good luck. However, you will endure an unlucky year if you fail to eat all 12 grapes before the clock stops chiming. 

9 - Collards and Black-Eyed Peas

This tradition is a way to ensure lots of money in the new year. In this superstition, you cook collard greens and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve. The collards represent paper money, while black-eyed peas represent coins. But in today’s world, you may just want the collards since coins aren't helpful anymore.

8- Wear White

In Brazil, everyone wears white for good luck and peace in the upcoming year. 

7 - Broken Dishes

In Denmark, people go around and break dishes on their friends and families' doors. They believe that the more shards of broken dishes on your doorstep the next day, the luckier your year will be. Additionally, they think that if you have a lot of broken dishes in front of your house, you will be well-liked in the upcoming year.

6 - Keep All Windows and Doors Open

Some believe that keeping your windows and doors open on New Year’s Eve will let the old year out and allow for the new year to come in. But be careful not to let all the heat out too!

5 - Empty Suitcases

In Columbia, to ensure a year full of travel. People will take empty suitcases and run around the block. 

4 - Jumping into the New Year

In Denmark, people will stand on chairs waiting for Midnight. As the clock strikes 12, they will “jump” into the new year. This is supposed to bring good luck and banish evil spirits in 2024.

3 - Spice Up Your Front Door.

In Greece, people hang bundles of onions above their doors to invite good fortune into their homes. Onions are their vegetable of choice since they are seen as good luck and fertility because they sprout without people paying attention. Lastly, on the morning of January 1st, parents will tap their kids with the onions to wake them up.

2 - Make a Fish Dish

Fish is a lucky food for New Year’s since fish can only swim forward like the movement of time and life. 

1 - Kiss at 12

The most known of all the New Year’s traditions is kissing at 12. According to the Washington Post, this tradition stems from German and English folklore, which believed “the first person with whom a person came in contact dictated the year’s destiny.” So make sure to pick your person wisely!

And so closes out this list, as well as 2023. Happy new year, and may it be a lucky one!