The superstition of putting money outside on New Year's Eve may have originated in Scotland, but the exact source is unknown. Leaving money out on New Year's Eve is said to keep money coming into the house all year. And that's something we can all hope for.
Having money in your pocket when you ring in the new year symbolizes starting the year by keeping the money flowing. Walk out of your house with your luggage open. This will bring luck so that you travel a lot throughout the new year.
This is a Latin American custom where single people crawl under a table at midnight for good luck in finding love in the new year, according to San Antonio Express News.
The sound of coins clinking at midnight ensures that you'll have plenty of money in the New Year. Coins on window sill- this goes along with the coin shaking but can be done ahead of time. Place coins on all the window sills of your home. Coins on the windows bring in more good fortune in the coming year.
You should place feng shui coins at the front door or near your front door. These coins attract wealth and prosperity for families.
One common tradition is cleaning your house thoroughly on or before New Year's Eve. Out with the old, in with the new they say. Most people believe in the idea that cleaning your house before the first day of the New Year ensures that you don't carry in your old, somewhat soiled, life into the New Year.
This is an odd one. According to folklore, if you wash clothes on New Years Day, youll be washing for the dead or washing a loved one away -- meaning someone in your household will die in the coming year. Get your laundry washed, dried, folded and put away by New Years Eve.
Washing laundry over the holiday can also mean washing good luck down the drain with the wash water. For similar reasons, many cultures believe washing your hair on New Year's is also bad luck, so you may want to skip washing anything on the holiday to be safe.
Certain colors like green, black and gold are not only great options for stylish New Year's Eve outfits, but they are also associated with meanings that will hopefully spark ambition, new beginnings and joy in 2023.
Greens, Black-Eyed Peas, Cornbread, and Ham | Photo by Meredith. Even folks who aren't from the Southern United States go all in on eating black-eyed peas and leafy greens for good luck on New Year's Day. Add a slice of cornbread, and you've got "peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold."
In Chinese tradition, white is an unlucky color because it symbolizes death, so all white foods are out for the celebration. Tofu, eggs, rice, cauliflower, white cheeses—say goodbye to them for the night.
The Swiss drop a dollop of cream on the floor, which is believed to bring luck, wealth, and peace in the coming year.
Spend New Year's Eve in meditation.
Spend it in quiet meditation or prayer as a way to start the year in peace and harmony. Make sure you arrange for your meditation time to extend past midnight. It's the perfect way to not only start a brand new year but end an old one. You can also do this with others if you prefer.
You can activate the wealth corner of your room by placing purple accessories or furniture, a living green houseplant and a small flowing water fountain. Activating the wealth corner of the room as per Feng shui for wealth would bring a lot of prosperity to your house.
Lighting candles in specific colors can welcome prosperity and positive thoughts. A green candle will bring good health while yellow candles spark financial success. Blue candles encourage peace in the new year and orange will bring you wisdom.
This means washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away and dramatically reduces chances of prosperity in the year ahead. Actually, LNY fundamentalists will tell you taking a shower is also off-limits on the first day for the same reason. Dry shampoo and dusting powder will come in handy.
Try washing before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. – Many energy companies charge extra for electricity during their “peak hours,” which see increased energy usage. During the summer, run your washer early in the morning – energy use peaks on hot afternoons.
It's also suggested you should not eat certain things on New Year's Eve, in order to prevent bad luck for the year ahead, such as lobster and chicken. Since lobsters can move backwards, eating them before the stroke of midnight may cause setbacks. For chickens, the idea is similar as they can scratch backwards.
No Haircuts On The First Day Of The New Year
According to Lunar New Year etiquette, you should never cut your hair on the first day of the New Year. The Chinese character for 'hair' is also the first character in the word 'prosper'. This means that you will literally wash your fortunes away if you cut your hair.
According to the ancient myth, washing your clothing on these days could lead to 'washing a loved one away' and could also bring about bad fortune, as doing laundry or the dishes around the New Year will wash away all your good luck.
It is traditional for families to clean their houses and the areas surrounding before the start of the new year. The word 'dust' in Chinese is a homophone for 'old', thus cleaning the house is symbolic of driving away the bad luck of the previous year to allow for a new start.
Chinese tradition and superstition dictate that homes be clean before the start of the new year, ridding the house of the bad luck and misfortune of the past, and opening up spaces for all the new, good luck to enter and infuse your life.
Bring in the New Year by performing a cleansing ritual. White Sage is the perfect herb to deter any negative energy and evil spirits from gathering around you + your space. If you have been plagued by exceptionally bad luck and a gloomy spirit this year, you may want to consider bringing the new year with fresh energy.