Now that New Year's Day is quickly approaching, it's time to start thinking ahead.
January 1 is the perfect day to begin 2025 on the right foot, that’s where New Year’s Day superstitions come into play.
Our list of New Year's Day superstitions contains traditions from all over the world if you're seeking a few more ways to build good fortune for 2025.
Is it bad luck to do washing on New Year’s Day?
One of the most prevalent New Year's superstitions is that on January 1 no washing should be done. However, some people go one step further and make it a custom to keep any dirty clothes unwashed from Christmas until New Year's Day.
There is an old legend that says washing your clothes on these days could result in “washing a loved one away” and bad luck since cleaning the dishes or laundry around the new year will wipe out all of your good fortune.
You should even refrain from taking the rubbish out on New Year's Day. According to some beliefs, your prosperity may vanish if you remove something from the house on the first day of the year.
For those that aren’t familiar with the term, Google says superstitions are a widely held belief in supernatural influences, especially as leading to good or bad luck, or a practice based on such a belief.
Other cultures similarly think that a person's actions on the first day of the year will predict their behaviour over the following 12 months.
Implying that completing tasks like laundry will essentially result in a year of arduous labour.
Are there any other New Year superstitions?
The New Year superstitions don’t end there.
In addition to the rigorous laundry superstition, some people think that having empty pockets on New Year's Eve is bad luck since it could indicate that you won't make much money the following year.
The notorious kiss at midnight is another well-known superstition that people adhere to.
But why? Some claim that this is done to make sure our sentiments for the other person last for the next 12 months, not merely as a token of affection.
Additionally, it is thought that you should create as much noise as you can around midnight to ward off the devil's arrival.
Many cultures also think that if you step into the new year leading with your right foot, you will start it out, well, on the right foot.
Other superstitions include hitting bread on your doors and walls to fend off evil spirits and bad luck, and taking a stroll with an empty suitcase to bring good fortune to travel.
Similarly, crying on the first day of the new year is thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, and eating 12 grapes at midnight is supposed to bring good luck for every month of the year.
