Superstitions have been around for centuries! And no matter how much newer generations try to push them away, for those who have been following them for decades, they are an active part of their traditions and even their lives. In fact, many of the younger generation are also catching on to these superstitions, and all just to try their luck! For example, the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes under the table on New Year’s Eve is catching on quickly with millennials and Gen Z.
Origins of New Year’s Superstitions
Every superstition emerges as a means of either preventing people from doing something or encouraging them to look towards positivity. And honestly, many of them have an inherent placebo effect. When someone drinks hot water with lemon in it as part of a superstition that says it will bring them good luck, they begin to notice even the smallest positives in life, and so on. A superstition is carried forward!
And with the New Year, as societies evolved, so did some of the superstitions of the time. Sometimes they were just there to help people find love, and other times to sell the year’s surplus of grapes.
Here we mention some popular ones. New Year’s Superstitions From around the world
Grapes from Spain
One of the most popular New Year’s traditions in Spain is to eat twelve grapes at midnight, one for each strike of the clock. Known as ‘Los Dos Uas de la Sorte’, this tradition is believed to bring good luck for each month of the coming year.
And while people are doing it wholeheartedly today, to find love and luck, many accuse the practice as a marketing ploy by grape growers.
Scotland’s first floor
A popular Scottish tradition, or superstition to others, is that the first person to enter a house after midnight is the ‘first footer’, and will decide the house’s fortunes for the year.
Traditionally, a tall, dark-haired man who brings gifts such as coal, bread, or whiskey is considered the first footer.
Onions are hanging on doors in Greece.
A popular New Year’s tradition in Greece is to hang onions on doors as they are considered a symbol of progress even in the harshest of circumstances.
It is believed that just as onion stems sprout even when neglected, the New Year brings strength and power to grow even in difficult circumstances.
Don’t throw away good luck!
Chinese New Year, celebrated based on the lunar calendar, has a unique tradition and superstition. Before the new year begins, people clean their homes from head to toe and make sure to remove any negativity and stagnation from the previous year.
But, they avoid sweeping the house for the first few days of the year, after the new year, so as not to accidentally sweep away the good fortune.
Ringing the bell 108 times
In Japan, bells are rung 108 times at midnight in Buddhist temples, a tradition called ‘Joya no Ken’. Many people believe that when these big bells are rung 108 times, the vibrations created remove any human suffering, material desires and give a new beginning to the universe.
Breaking plates in Denmark
In Denmark, there is a fun superstition about leaving behind the negativity of the previous year and welcoming luck into the coming year.
People break plates in their homes and the homes of neighbors in an attempt to ward off any evil spirits and bring good luck.
Carrying a suitcase around
If you’re looking to travel more in the coming year, Mexico might just be the perfect tradition for you!
In Colombia, Mexico, and many other countries, people who want to travel a lot in the coming year take an empty suitcase, and walk around the block with it shortly after 12 o’clock.