New Year’s Eve is a time when festivities occur across the world. It’s a time of new beginnings, and many cultures will start the year off with some superstitions for good luck. You may be aware of some of the following traditions while others may surprise you.
Play card and dice games
Greek families gather on New Year’s Eve and play card and dice games. Usually, they place small bets and even the children join in. Those who win at these games believe good luck will favor them in the year ahead. Many people who do real money gambling at online casinos also use good luck rituals to bring them luck.
Eat grapes to the midnight chimes
In Spain, the Spaniards eat a grape in time to each chime when the clock strikes midnight. They believe that those who don’t do this will face the threat of bad luck for the year ahead. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. Many Spaniards practice ahead of time to increase their chances of performing well. This grape-eating tradition has spread to several countries in Central and South America, too.
Shred old papers and documents
In Buenos Aires, Argentinians shred old papers and documents. This symbolizes leaving the old year behind. At noon, they throw the scraps of paper out of their windows, filling the whole city with a shower of confetti.
Keep a fully stocked pantry
Of all the superstitions around the world, one common one is to have a fully stocked pantry on New Year’s Eve. This will welcome abundance into your life. If your pantry isn’t fully stocked, it could welcome scarcity and poverty into your life.
Smash dishes
A Danish tradition helps you release any pent-up aggression you don’t want to take with you into the year to come. You need to place small, old or unwanted dishes outside your front door. The bigger the pile of broken dishes, the luckier you will be.
Another Scandinavian tradition is to serve herring at midnight. This silver fish represents money and eating it will bring prosperity in the year to come.
Kiss someone you love
One of the best-known superstitions in the West is a kiss at midnight. It will bring good luck for the year ahead. With online movie streaming, you can spend New Year’s Eve cuddling with a loved one and watching a movie until midnight comes. Some believe that sharing a kiss at midnight with a person means this person will be a lifelong love.
Wear red underwear
The Italians add some spice to New Year’s Eve with a tradition that requires everyone to wear red underwear. Sexy lacy red panties or red boxers are sold in stores all over the country after Christmas day. Wearing red will bring love and passion into your life. Bolivians and Brazilians also have this tradition.
Eat lentils and pig’s feet
Italians also eat lentils and pig’s feet for good luck with their finances in the year to come. The lentils look like little gold coins, and Brazilians also believe eating them brings good luck. Brazilians embrace many Italian New Year traditions, which is not surprising given that Brazil hosts the largest Italian community outside of Italy.
Throw ice cream on the ground
The Swiss don’t ring in the New Year by toasting with champagne. They throw a scoop of ice cream on the ground. This is supposed to bring them prosperity and good luck.
Avoid eating lobsters
In many countries like Austria and Eastern Europe, it is bad luck to eat lobsters on New Year’s Eve. Eating them could bring setbacks and a lack of progress in life. This superstition is based on the fact that lobsters move backward.
Burn a scarecrow
In Ecuador, people write down bad experiences from the past year on pieces of paper. They fill a scarecrow with these papers and burn it. They may even burn some old photographs.
