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New Year's traditions, superstitions and just plain oddities
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Traditions are things we do because we do them. Consistently. They're often easier than thinking up new ways to celebrate or commemorate, and they're comforting in their predictability, though it's not always easy to figure out why we cling to certain traditions with such tenacity.
Superstitions, too, have a way of hanging on for no good reason, and New Year's Eve/Day is a great time to indulge in tradition and superstition — just in case. It never hurts to start the new year with personal traditions covered and superstitions heeded, because it's quite possible that breaking a New Year's tradition will bring bad luck in the coming 12 months.
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Here are some New Year's traditions and superstitions culled from Internet sources that come with varying degrees of solid research, truthfulness and believability. Pick one and make it your own — or don't: The thing about New Year's is that it's new. Start fresh. Start over. Start again. And if it doesn't work out, start thinking about next year.
Kissing at midnight: Make it count — these midnight New Year's kisses serve to seal the affection of your nearest and dearest through the coming year. Failing to smooch sets the stage for a year of — well, a year without kisses.
Stock up: The state of your cupboards at the new year will be the state of your cupboards for the whole year, so fill them up. Put food in the pantry and money in the wallet.
Pay it off: Mail the bills out before Jan. 1, because the New Year should not be started in debt.
First footing: This is an old tradition — the first person to enter your home on Jan. 1 will determine the fate of the household for the year. What you're looking for is a dark-haired, tall, handsome man bearing coal, a coin, some bread or salt. Blonde and red-haired first footers are bad luck, and female first footers are not to be encouraged for a second. Don't let a woman in the door before a man steps over the threshold, or you'll be very sorry.
First footers (sometimes known as Lucky Birds) should knock and be let in, even if they live there. They should say hello, pass out the gifts, walk through the house and leave by a door other than the one they entered. No one should leave before the first footer arrives.
Not to worry. It's perfectly acceptable to stage your own first footer arrival, by asking a party guest to step outside at 11:59 p.m., only to knock and be allowed in just after midnight. In fact, if you plan your first footing, you can relax a lot quicker.
Nothing leaves: Don't let anything leave the house on New Year's Day. If you're going to a potluck, put the food in the car the night before. Seriously. Don't take out the garbage, collect the recyclables or shake out a rug.
Eat your peas: Eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day brings good luck and money. It's worth a try.
Work: Do something worklike on Jan. 1, and do it well, even if you're not at work. Don't do a lot, just a little, because hard work on Jan. 1 is unlucky.
No laundry, no dishes: Some believe that washing clothes and dishes will open the gates to allow a family member to be washed away in the coming year. Why take chances?
Cut the tags: Wear something new on New Year's Day, and it's likely you'll get a lot more new clothes.
You break it? You bought bad luck: If you break things on Jan. 1, you'll be breaking things all year; and if you cry on Jan. 1, that sets a sad tone.
Open the doors: At midnight, open the doors to let the old year escape.
Make some noise: It's more than a celebration; banging pots and pans or yelling or whatever is a way to scare the evil spirits away (evil spirits hate loud noise — that's why church bells are so loud when something nice happens).
Watch the weather: Wind from the south means good times ahead; wind from the north means bad weather all year; wind from the east brings calamities and famine; and if the wind comes from the west, there will be plenty of milk and fish but somebody great will die. If there's no wind at all, a good and prosperous year will be had by everybody.
Sources: www.fathertimes.net, www.snopes.com, http://missvickie.com/library/1newyearsother.html, www.topics-mag.com/internatl/holidays/new-years-page.htm
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2403 or
ldempsey@DaytonDailyNews.com.
