Before the Stroke of Midnight
Resolutions - Sounds easy, right? We always make our New Year's resolutions, but this year, why not try keeping them?
Clean House - It's good luck to start the year off with a clean house. Think of it as a fresh start.
Shoot Off Fireworks - In fact make a lot of noise to chase off any evil spirits lurking around in the current year. Start the new year fresh and evil spirit free.
Kiss at Midnight - This is a symbol of your relationship. It will bring good luck to you in the coming year.
Wear Colorful Underwear - Wearing brightly colored underwear, especially red, is meant to bring in love and good fortune.
Drink Your Wishes - In Russia, it is tradition to write down your wishes, burn them, toss them in a glass of champagne and drink them before it is one minute past midnight.
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After Twelve (mostly gorging yourself on good food)
12 Grapes - Eating 12 grape represents each month of the year and will bring you good luck.
Pork - Have you heard the expression, "Living high on the hog"? Well, eat some pork at New Year's and find out what it's all about.
Black-Eyed Peas - The story goes, during the Civil War, soldiers were cut-off from their food supply throughout a long winter and had to resort to eating what cattle grazed on - "cow peas". Now, whether you call that resourcefulness or luck, superstitious folk turned that into a New Year's tradition and voila!
Greens - If you really stretch your imagination, greens look like folded money. So eat your greens (or any green veggie) for prosperity in the new year.
Corn Bread - What represents gold better than corn? Eat some corn bread for New Year's to bring good fortune. Toss in actual corn to represent gold nuggets.
Hoppin' John - Now that you have your pork, peas, greens and corn bread, you can make this traditional Southern dish. Just add rice and eat for good luck.
Lentils - Eat this coin-shaped food to help ring in the new year with prosperity. Pair it with a pork dish to be sure you will be living high on the hog!
Noodles - Slurp up your long noodles for a long life. Be sure not to cut or chew them!
Cake - Bake a coin into a cake. The person who receives the coin with have good fortune in the new year. Just warn everyone first. You don't want anyone biting down on a coin! That's bad luck.
Ring-Shaped Foods - Ring-shaped foods represent coming full circle. So enjoy those donuts, onion rings, and pretzels.
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Odd Ball Traditions
Make sure a tall, dark and handsome man is the first person to enter your household in the new year. This Scottish tradition is called "first footing". This man will bring you good luck. Keep your fair-haired friends waiting outside, they will only bring you misfortune. Sorry guys.
Some believe it is bad luck to let anything leave your house on January 1st. Even the trash!
Also, take a break from all that housework. It can wait till January 2nd at the earliest. You're welcome.
Out the Window - Some cultures believe in throwing broken things (including furniture) out the window! This Italian and South African tradition not only sounds cathartic, but kind of fun! Just make sure you warn your neighbors. It really is "out with the old and in with the new".
Cement Your Friendships - How would you like to throw dishes on your friends' front doors to show them just how much you love them? That's one Danish tradition that might show you just how popular you are.
Travel Hopes - If you're hoping to travel next year, why not start with taking a walk around the block with an empty suitcase? It's a tradition in Columbia - true story!
Foul Fowl -Do NOT eat chicken or turkey! They scratch backward and you don't ever want to look backward, only forward.
For Abundance - If you want a prosperous new year, stock up on food and money. I have a feeling one of those is easier than the other...
Paint it Black, errr Red - In China, people paint their doors red as a symbol of happiness and good fortune. Makes me think of the Rolling Stones...
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