New Years Superstitions??? Customs???

sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My dad comes from a very large, old Southern family. They are veeeery superstitious. So many of these little superstitions have been handed down generation to generation. I know the typical ones for New Years meals. It's hard for me to keep those straight because the foods are ones I hate. I just know I have to eat at least one black eyed pea and a bite of cabbage. These things bring me luck & health. One I've never heard anyone else ever mention or do is the money under the doormat. On the 31st you should put a piece of money outside under your doormat. After midnight you should go outside, retrieve your money, and bring it into your home. You can only bring the money you put out. When we were kids we put out pennies or quarters. As an adult, well, let's just say I put bigger denominations out. The bringing of money into the home is for luck for money to come into your home during the coming year. The first time I remember my aunt teaching me to do this I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. That year I won $100 from raffles & radio contests 3x's. Not a big sum to adults but to a kid in 1984 that was HUGE.

Not a superstition but just our personal custom thing, after midnight I wake the husband to kiss him and say my first 'I love you'. Always seemed like the thing to do.

So how 'bout y'all????
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Goofyernmost said:
I'll be honest. I had never heard of any New Years Customs/Superstitions until I read your post. I kinda think I like it better without them. So, with that said, have a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year filled with much love and joy and may we all be here to see in 2015.
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Oh aside from the New Years stuff my dad's family has some really out there old superstitions they tell me about. My mother who was very young when she married Dad still laughs at the crazy stuff they used to tell her. LOL!
 
JenniferS

JenniferS

When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
sweetpee_1993 said:
My dad comes from a very large, old Southern family. They are veeeery superstitious. So many of these little superstitions have been handed down generation to generation. I know the typical ones for New Years meals. It's hard for me to keep those straight because the foods are ones I hate. I just know I have to eat at least one black eyed pea and a bite of cabbage. These things bring me luck & health. One I've never heard anyone else ever mention or do is the money under the doormat. On the 31st you should put a piece of money outside under your doormat. After midnight you should go outside, retrieve your money, and bring it into your home. You can only bring the money you put out. When we were kids we put out pennies or quarters. As an adult, well, let's just say I put bigger denominations out. The bringing of money into the home is for luck for money to come into your home during the coming year. The first time I remember my aunt teaching me to do this I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. That year I won $100 from raffles & radio contests 3x's. Not a big sum to adults but to a kid in 1984 that was HUGE.

Not a superstition but just our personal custom thing, after midnight I wake the husband to kiss him and say my first 'I love you'. Always seemed like the thing to do.

So how 'bout y'all????
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I like the kissing part. Sweet.
 
luv

luv

Well-Known Member
I keep money in my pocket on New Year's Day. I'm not really superstitious; I'm just afraid that if I temp fate, something bad could happen. ;)

I don't eat the food because cabbage and black-eyed peas that don't sing are not my favorite things. A friend of mine used to get worried by this.

I turned on "Boom Boom Pow" as my version of eating those things. I'm so three thousand and eight. :)
 
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epcotisbest

epcotisbest

Well-Known Member
Having the traditional black eyed peas, collards, hog jowl, and other goodies for dinner tonight. Can't remember ever not having that on New Years Day. Of course there are other non traditional sides like potato salad, creamed corn, biscuits and more southern goodness on the table as well.
 
plaz10

plaz10

Well-Known Member
Always gotta have a hotdog on new years day. Usually the first thing I eat every year! About 6 or 7 years ago we celebrated in Canada and snuck a hot dog into the bar so we could eat it at midnight!

Also - my mom told me about this - that when coming home from a new years celebration that the man is supposed to walk in the door first. Well last night I walked in first and then went OH SH*T I WALKED IN FIRST and made the hubby go outside with me and then he walked in. Haha.
 
sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
plaz10 said:
Always gotta have a hotdog on new years day. Usually the first thing I eat every year! About 6 or 7 years ago we celebrated in Canada and snuck a hot dog into the bar so we could eat it at midnight!

Also - my mom told me about this - that when coming home from a new years celebration that the man is supposed to walk in the door first. Well last night I walked in first and then went OH SH*T I WALKED IN FIRST and made the hubby go outside with me and then he walked in. Haha.
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LOL! Last night Tracey stayed up late. Rare occurrence. He went outside after midnight and picked up all the money under the doormat. I had a FIT! I made him take it back, put it like he found it, then sent The boys to go get their money. Tracey still came back with both our money and said, "Look, I'm the bread-winner. This makes sense." True. So I like to think since I put the money out for both of us and he brought it back for both of us it's okay. I facilitate. He makes it happen. That's pretty much how it works anyway. Right???
 
Figments Friend

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
I have a couple of ones i personally observe that i started on my own as a way to honor the passing of the old year into the new.
I do them just for fun...and to give myself a little positive push into the New Year.
It puts me into a great mindset and works wonders for me.

First and foremost is to always wear a brand new piece of clothing, usually a shirt, on New Years day.
It represents a new beginning and wearing something worn previously may carry over negative energies.
The item is usually brightly colored, often yellow or green which are colors traditionally associated with prosperity and growth.

The other major tradition is to be mindful of what it is you do on New Years Day.
Whatever activity or mindset you are in may well dictate what you will be doing in the New Year.
So you don't want to do anything that you do not really like or enjoy...and it is not a good day for 'finishing' anything.
It's all about 'starting' and new beginnings.
Leave the dust of last year behind.

I would say my favorite tradition is observing the weather on New Years day.
It is indeed a wonderful year ahead if it is a bright, clear, and sunny day!

:)
 
Cesar R M

Cesar R M

Well-Known Member
there is always the classic worldwide "world is gonna end on XXXX year!" ;)

anyway for family stuff; there is always the grape thing. (12 grapes as the 1st 00:00 of next year begins)
 
Sans Souci

Sans Souci

Well-Known Member
Cesar R M said:
there is always the classic worldwide "world is gonna end on XXXX year!" ;)

anyway for family stuff; there is always the grape thing. (12 grapes as the 1st 00:00 of next year begins)
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I am curious. What is the significance of eating a dozen grapes at midnight?
 
prberk

prberk

Well-Known Member
Of course we always eat blackeyed peas and stewed tomatoes (which, in the South, always go together, like salt and pepper). I am a youth leader at my church, and I had chaperoned a lock-in overnight for New Year's; so when I finally woke up at 3 p.m. on New Year's Day, my mother came down to visit and brought me some that she had made. I heated them up, and added them to my plate with some freshly-fried bacon, "home fries" (pan-fried sliced potatoes with onions), and Le Sueur peas. I was in hog heaven. (And did it again last night.)

My grandmother had a superstition for New Year's also. She did not wash any clothes on New Year's Day. She said if you washed clothes on New Year's Day, you would be washing clothes for a corpse before the year is up. I inherited her house, and so I now follow that tradition, in her memory. Makes me think of her.
 

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