History of New Year's Good Luck Traditions

Photo of Dutch oliebol, which is only baked during the days between Christmas and New Year.
Photo courtesy 123rf.com

An old New Year's belief is that how you spend the first day of the new year will influence the rest of the year.  So, people will do things that they believe will give them good luck such as eating certain foods, and will spend the day with people whom they wish to be with during the coming year.

For some cultures, using something in the form of a ring on New Year's Day symbolizes completing the year uninterrupted by misfortune.  This is why the Dutch believe that eating doughnuts on New Year's Day will bring good luck all year.  For more information click here.

What New Year's traditions do you and your family observe?

History of New Year's Eve Fireworks

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The use of fireworks and other noise-making such as cheering and horn-blowing at midnight on the cusp of the New Year is an old semi-religious tradition.  People used to think that evil spirits were drawn to these particular celebrations, and the bright flashes of light and very loud noise-making would scare the evil spirits away.  For more information click here.

How do you spend your New Year's Eve?

Christmas in South America

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South America is in the middle of summer during the Christmas season, so holidays can include fireworks, trips to the beaches for surfing and swimming, picnics, and barbecues.  While Christmas has been influenced by native traditions and U.S. and European customs, the majority of people celebrating Christmas in South America do so in a devoutly religious manner.  Nativity scenes are especially prevalent and important to South Americans.

There are separate celebrations that include feasts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and since the Christmas season extends through Epiphany there are religious celebrations and feasting on New Year's Day as well.  Some of the special Christmas-season foods are Christmas pudding, a special dessert cake called Pan de Pascua, roast pig or peacock, steak, turkey, and pies.  Special Christmas-season drinks are cola de mono or "monkey's tail",  fruit juice, cider, beer, and champagne.

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What Christmas traditions does your family observe?

Folklore and Nandina

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I've always liked nandina bushes and have always had them in my yard, however not because I planted them there but because they were already there when I moved into the house.  What I didn't know was the folklore about nandinas.  In the Japanese language nandina is homonymic for "difficulties" and "changing", so the nandina is believed to have the power to make bad fortune disappear.  In the western world nandina branches are used in New Year's arrangements, coats of arms, art, and textile design where it symbolizes longevity,

For more information, see the websites NandinaBushes.com and CherryBlossom.co.nz.