My Mom loves a good superstition. If it’s something that could possibly bring good luck, she’s into it!
Tradition: the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.
Oxford Languages
I grew up thinking it was the silliest thing. But those same silly things have turned into family tradition through the years.
My husband, Kalani, has taken the torch on this. He thinks it’s fun and so the tradition continues in our home. I can’t help but hope that my kids will carry it on with their families, too.
I will do my best to try to explain each superstition. But, basically, they all bring in good luck for the coming year. And, yes, we do each and every one of these.😆
Polka Dots– wearing polka dots on New Years Eve symbolizes good fortune. We usually have a large pajama party with family and friends. It’s not uncommon to see a bunch of us wearing dotted pajamas.
Coin shaking- when the clock starts counting down to midnight, be sure to make as much noise as possible by shaking a bagful of coins. Coins can be in a jar, a pocket, anywhere you can easily shake. 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.
12 round fruits– each fruit signifies the 12 months of the New Year. The round/circular shape symbolizes wholeness, the infinite. Place all 12 fruits in a bowl in your kitchen and you’ll have a fruitful year!
Grapes around the door frame- take a small bundle of grapes and hang them on your door frame. This only needs to be done to the doors that lead into your home. So, for us, that’s the front door, garage door, and sliding door. The grapes bring good luck and prosperity.
Jump at midnight (kids)– this superstition is mostly for the children. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, kids jump as high as they can. This symbolizes growing tall and strong in the New Year.
Turn on all lights and open doors– turn on all the lights in your home and keep all doors ajar. The lights will attract good fortune and the open doors ensure they’re able to come into your home. For obvious reasons, this is usually done just before midnight.
Full pantry– keeping your kitchen fully stocked means you’ll have abundance for the rest of the year. My Mom specifically likes to make sure she has plenty of rice and sugar.
Clean home- the way your house enters the New Year reflects how dirty or clean it’ll be in the coming year. If your house is a mess and cluttered, then that’s probably how it will stay.
No spending money– on New Year’s Day, do not go shopping or spend any money. Spending money on this day means money will be leaving you all year long. Don’t do it!
Okay! I think that’s all of it. If we start incorporating any more traditions, I’ll be sure to update this list.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
