5 New Year's Superstitions and What Will Happen If You Ignore Them

All that noise making actually has a purpose. Its supposed to scare away evil spirits. That's right, there might be an evil spirit outside your door just waiting to get in. So, if you don't make as much noise as possible, how are you going to stop it from just waltzing on in?

That's just a superstition, you say? Maybe, but do you really want to take the chance?

2. Some years ago, I was visiting a friend on Dec 31^st. She was bustling around, cleaning her house. I asked who was coming. "Maybe nobody", she said, "but if the house isn't spotless by midnight, it'll be dirty all next year." She informed me that she does it every year because she doesn't want to be doomed to live in a messy house for a whole year. I have to say that I have never seen her house dirty. Ever. I always assumed it was because she is a clean freak.

I thought it was a ridiculous superstition. But then I thought about my own well-lived-in (meaning messy) house. Hmmmm, might I be missing a bet here? I wondered. Might it be that if I made a supreme effort to get it spotless before midnight that night it would magically remain spotless all year long? But, I thought, do I have the time, energy or desire to rush home and clean? Hell, no! I decided I'd live with my mess for another year. In all the years since, I haven't made any attempt to have a spotless house on New Year's Eve. But then, I've lived in a messy house all the years since, too.

3. Money is always a big issue. We all want it and most of us never have

enough of it. There's a New Year's Superstition that says if you have your pockets, purse or wallet stuffed with money as you ring in the New Year, you'll have an abundance of money throughout the coming year. Well! I just found out about that one and, believe me, I'll be stuffing every available dollar in my purse this New Year's Eve!

Don't use scissors on New Year's day or you'll "cut" off any fortune that might have been heading your way. I have to wonder if that applies to knives, too?

Also, if you want to keep the money you do have, on New Year's day, you are not to pay out any money, loan money to anyone, lend or give away precious gems (who would do that anyway?), or let anything else of value leave your house. Well, I guess we're all going to have to forgo that New Year's Day buffet at the local restaurant because, technically, paying for the meal would be paying out money and that'll cause us to have to keep paying out more and more money all year. Phooey. I was really looking forward to eating sauerkraut without having to cook it this year, too!

4. Superstition says that whatever happens on New Year's day will set the trend

For the whole year to follow. So, no crying, unless you want to cry all year long. No negativity, unless you want to constantly feel impending doom and gloom. No fighting, nagging, yelling or any of the other things that you don't want to have to do all year long. In other words, I guess what the superstition wants us to do on New Year's day is to act like civilized human beings. But, isn't that how we should be acting, anyway?

5. Want to be in good health for the next 364 days? All you have to do is go out into the open air and dance around a tree on New Year's day! Doing so is supposed to give you love, prosperity and good health for the coming year.
Think the neighbors will look askance at you for doing that? No problem. Invite them over to join in.... call it a party!
Am I going to be dancing around a tree on New Year's day? You betcha!

I'm just glad the superstition doesn't say I have to do it naked!