These New Year's Superstitions Will Bring You Lots of Luck in 2024
You've planned out your New Year's resolutions, made your New Year's Eve drinks and set out New Year's Eve appetizers. And now, it's time for all those fun things to do on New Year's Eve. Whether or not you're a superstitious person (cue Stevie Wonder!), New Year's superstitions will add some extra fun to your holiday—and chances are you already partake in at least one. Do you clean your house before New Year's guests arrive? Kiss a loved one when the clock strikes midnight? Break out the noisemakers to ring in a new year? Then, you're participating in time-honored traditions that might just make you lucky in 2023.
Ree Drummond admits she's not exactly a superstitious person, but she still makes Hoppin' John's, the black-eyed stew, every year for New Year's Day. "I figure starting the new year by indulging in a juicy superstition can't hurt," she says. In this list, you'll find more fun food ideas, plus New Year's traditions from around the world: Find out why people wear red underwear in Mexico and snack on soba at midnight in Japan!
Read on for the most interesting New Year's superstitions that will supposedly bring you good fortune in the year to come. Try them out, then toast to 2023 with a champagne cocktail. And if staying up on NYE isn't your jam, some of these count as things to do on New Year's Day, too. Cheers to the new year!
Wear Polka Dots
Having wealth in 2023 could be as easy as popping on this fun print for your New Year’s Eve outfits. At least, that's according to a Philippines tradition. Since the pattern resembles the shape of a coin, wearing it is said to bring prosperity for the months to come.
Throw Things Out Your Window
In Italy, it's quite literally out with the old and in with the new! At midnight, some will throw old items like dishes, clothes, and even furniture out the window to symbolize letting go of the past and making room for all the good fortune the new year will bring.
Don't Cry
This one might be easier said than done, but hold in those tears on January 1! Across cultures, crying is said to set a negative tone for the new year. Instead, have fun and think happy thoughts with the use of New Year's Eve games and funny New Year's jokes.
Devour Ring-Shaped Foods
Now this is a superstition we could definitely get behind! Many cultures believe that eating ring-shaped foods like donuts, bagels, and cakes will bring good fortune full-circle. In Greece, a special sweet bread called vasilopita is served at midnight. A coin is placed inside the batter and whoever finds it in their slice will have extra luck!
Get New Year's Eve dessert recipes.
Step With Your Right Foot
Start the new year off right when you well, step into it with your right foot. In Argentina, stepping forward with your right foot right at midnight is said to bring good luck for the year. This tradition is also honored in various ways across several other cultures, too.
Make Hoppin' Johns
Ree makes Hoppin' Johns every year—and she's not alone. The dish, which has roots in African and West Indian traditions, has been a New Year's fixture in the Southern United States since the 1800s, with black-eyed peas representing coins and collard greens standing in for cash. Ree's version includes black-eyed peas, bell peppers, and torn-up kale.
Make Some Noise!
Noisemakers aren't just fun. 😉 A superstition has it that making lots of noise will ward away evil spirits. So break out the noisemakers and turn up the New Year's Eve playlist!
Kiss at Midnight
Old folklore has it that smooching your loved one at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the year to come: Historians have traced our New Year's Eve kisses back to multiple festivities, including the Romans' celebration of Saturn and a Viking festival called Hogmanay. Get your puckers ready with the best lip balms!
Eat 12 Grapes
Chances are you're already drinking your fair share of grapes come midnight. But in Spain, revelers also eat 12 grapes for each stroke of the clock.
Clean Your House
Tidy up, and not just because you're expecting company for New Year's Eve. In China and Latin America, legend has it that cleaning your house will literally sweep away negativity from your life.
Or Don't!
On the other hand, some say cleaning or sweeping on January 1st will "wash away a loved one" in the next year. It might be morbid, but at least you officially have permission to skip your chores!
Eat Pickled Herring
In Poland and Scandinavia, people eat pickled herring at midnight to bring them prosperity for the year to come (the fish is silver like coins!). It's an easy tradition to honor: Just add herring to a smorgasbord platter with other smoked fish, bread, and more.
Open Your Doors and Window
Opening your doors and windows just before midnight is believed to let the old year out and the new one in. Don't worry, there's no rule that you have to keep them open for long!
Fill Your Cabinets
It's considered bad luck to start your New Year with bare cupboards—some believe it will mean scarcity in the coming year. Find out which stores will be open on New Year's Day and stock up!
Fill Your Wallet with Cash
Kick off your year on a prosperous note: Head to the ATM and fill your wallet with cash. While you're getting your finances in order, settle any unpaid debts.
Snack on Soba Noodles
In many Japanese households, families will eat buckwheat soba noodles, which symbolize longevity and prosperity, at midnight. Try using them in Ree's veggie stir-fry!
Choose Your Underwear Wisely
You've chosen your New Year's outfit, but what's underneath counts, too. In Latin American countries including Mexico, you'll find red, white, and yellow pairs of underwear in abundance at stores around the New Year: Red underwear symbolizes romance, while white stands in for peace and yellow is thought to bring you wealth.
Skip the Lobster
Many cultures believe eating lobster on New Year's will bring you bad luck. Why? The crustaceans move backwards, which represents setbacks in the year ahead. Consider these great New Year's Eve dinner ideas instead!
But Add Pork to the Menu
In Chinese culture the pig is associated with good fortune and prosperity, and according to German legend, pork is lucky because pigs look forward when they eat, representing progress. Both are great excuses to try these amazing pork recipes!
Carry an Empty Suitcase
Want to manifest more travel adventures in the year ahead? Carrying around an empty suitcase on New Year's Eve might do the trick, according to a Latin American superstition.
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