New Years Eve/Day Traditions or Superstitions

[merlin!]

Growing up, I can remember both my Mom and Grandma, cooking furiously on New Years Eve day. I asked what was the deal. Thus started a chain reaction of sooo many superstitions. Not only for myself, but I began to learn they weren't the only ones. Here are a few of mine.

1) Do all household chores on New Years Eve, not on New Years Day. Anything you do on Jan. 1, you will do all year long.
2) Eat a leafy green vegetable. This represents wealth.
3) Eat a dried bean. Symbolic of fattening your wallet.

What are some of yours? Please tell me I'm not the only one.

[Inuk]

interesting!

I never did clean on Jan 1st either.

[TheOne]

well I haven't cleaned today.. and I won't do it either

I have no special rituals, only to fire off some firecrackers at midnight.. but other than that it's just a couple of normal days, just like all the rest.

[A.tab]

Many many years ago when I was young and my country
was at peace with itself we use to load up in my dads car
ang go out late at night to see the awesomely lit city with
cerebelatory lights and people honking horns and playing loud music on the mainroads.
Not anymore :'(

[Jack Tripper]

Bamafan :

New Years you have to eat the following...Pork of any kind, greens of any kind, and black eyed peas...don't you people know anything? Pork is for wisdom, Greens is for money, and Black Eyed Peas are for luck. And you've also got to have a pawn of cornbread to go with it.

[X-Spectre]

Eating Black-eyed peas (a bean) with pork of some sort to symbolize luck for the New Year.
AND (I can't believe no one has said THIS yet)
Make a resolution to change or do something in the New Year.

[Throbbn]

always make sure to kiss the one you love (wife/girl friend/chick you dig) right at 12 midnight!

[Formula_1]

When I was little my mother made sure that she made hog jowls, black eyed peas, and turnip greens on New Year's Day. Also she said it was bad luck to wash clothes on New Year's Day or to take down the Christmas decorations before New Year's. That last one used to drive my dad crazy. He was ready to take down everything the day after Christmas.

[J3scribe]

I only ever made one New Years resolution in my life (in 1983), which was to quit smoking weed and imbibing in other illegal substances, and remarkably it was a resolution I managed to keep all these years. Never made another resolution after that. What the hell, it's one of a few wholly successful endeavors I've managed to accomplish, why ruin it with an ensuing string of failures?

[pissant]

I only ever made one New Years resolution in my life (in 1983), which was to quit smoking weed and imbibing in other illegal substances, and remarkably it was a resolution I managed to keep all these years. Never made another resolution after that. What the hell, it's one of a few wholly successful endeavors I've managed to accomplish, why ruin it with an ensuing string of failures?

I take my hat off to you Sir.We're about the same age and back in 1983,there's no way I could have made a decision regarding drugs with that much conviction and stuck to it.It took me about about another 25 to come even close.....


Did anyone mention getting as drunk as a shit stick on New Years,cus I did that

[S-type]

A pleasant Scottish and Northern-English tradition is "first-footing", in which the first person (bringing symbolic gifts) to cross the threshold on New Year's Day is the harbinger of good luck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-Foot

I think the Scots have made the celebration of Hogmanay a fine art!