I am a very superstitious person.  Find a penny heads up, make a wish and pocket it.  Tails up, hand it off to someone else to make the wish.  Right palm itching means you’re coming into money.  A broom falling means company will soon be coming to visit.  11:11, make a wish.  Spill salt?  Better throw a pinch over your left shoulder, stat!

New Years Eve/Day brings my superstitious nature out in full force.  Here are a few of my family’s must haves:

~Make a lot of noise at the stroke of midnight.  My kids love the tradition of being allowed for one night to get out my Calphalon pots and pans to bang on with wooden spoons.  Because we will have a house full of people this year, we opted for some commercial noise makers instead.

~If you are single, dance around a tree at midnight to bring love.  I did this once, at the stroke of midnight on January 1st, 2009, the day I met my husband.

~Eat 12 green grapes as soon as you can after midnight, to signify the months of the new year.  If the grape is sweet, the month will be a good one.  If the grape is tart or bitter, then expect a rough month.  The boy is currently filling Ziploc baggies with 12 grapes for each of our guests.

~The first person in the house after the stroke of midnight must be an attractive, tall, dark-haired male, bringing a gift.  This one is easy for my family since my husband happens to be tall, dark, and handsome.  The gift doesn’t have to be anything big.  Last year he brought a little box of trinkets: a wine cork, a few glass beads, a piece of jade, and a small honeybee charm.

~No taking trash out of the house on New Year’s Day.  This one is hard for me, since I despise clutter and require order, especially after a night of partying.  To get around this, we usually put the bags of trash in the garage until the following day.

~Foods to eat on New Years Day: black-eyed peas for good luck, collard greens for money, fish or pork to move forward in the new year (fish swim forward, pigs root forward).  Usually, we have bowls of black-eyed peas, collard greens, and pickled herring lined up shortly after midnight to ensure all family members get a bite.  This year, I just planned our New Year’s Day dinner around the theme: smoked pork chops, black-eyed peas, collard greens, bacon-wrapped Brussels Sprouts and bagna cauda (for good measure).

~Foods not to eat on New Years Day: chicken (they scratch backwards), lobster or crab (they move sideways and backwards).

~Whatever you do on New Year’s Day is what you will be doing the most of throughout the year.  No crying, no work, no spending/loaning money.  Make sure the pantry is stocked, the bills are paid, you have money in your bank account/wallet, and you make a little love with your significant other.

I am curious to know… what New Year superstitions do you and/or your family  partake in?

~Cari~