New Year Superstitions

The new year is a time for partying, celebration and the inevitable resolutions. It’s also a time for superstitions. According to traditional beliefs, what happens on New Year’s Day influences what happens during the rest of the year, so if you’ve already had bad luck this year, not abiding by these superstitions may just be the reason.

A traditional English belief holds that you should never take anything out of the house, pay a bill or lend anything on the first day of the new year — if you do, you’ll find your wealth leaving your house all year. The house was believed to be vulnerable to the mischief of evil spirits at this important time.

Similarly, in Scotland, the first person to step through the door (the “first foot”) should bring gifts such as cash, food and whisky; if he does, the house will have a plentiful supply of these things throughout the coming year.