New Year''s traditions

[DiamondPrincess]

I don't know if these traditions are just a southern thing or if the rest of the world has heard of them, but I grew up with them so I thought I'd share a few.

1. Eating black-eyed peas-They bring you good luck. You eat one bean for each day of the coming year(365 peas

)
2. Eating cabbage-The green leaves represent money.You will be prosperous in the new year.
3. Do as little work as possible on NYday- too much work means extra hard work in the year to come.
4. Don't do laundry or wash dishes on NYday- A loved one will die in the year to come(they'll be 'washed away').
5.Open all your doors at midnight- To welcome 'IN' the new year.
6. Kiss a loved one at midnight- to insure love and affection in the coming year.
7. Have a full cupboard and refrigerator- You will never know hunger in the coming year.
8. Don't leave your home until someone enters first-Bad luck if the first person in your house(called a first footer) is a redhead!!!This means a disaster in the year to come. The first footer must leave through a differant door than they entered.
9. After the first footer leaves a redhead visiting is good luck-Having a redhead run into the house and exiting through another door will bring you good luck.
10. Ring bells and make noise at midnight-To scare away evil(do the same at weddings)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!

 

[AndyRosse]

Wow, I have honestly never heard of those LOL. But I''ve lived in New England all my life, so who knows.

I do know that I would never want to open all my doors at midnight because my house would be freezing, full of snow, and my heating bills would be outrageous

.

 

[teebee]

The only ones that I am familiar with are eating black-eyed peas on NYs day - although I''ve never heard of 1 bean = 1 day part - and the kiss @ midnight. I''ve got some frozen black-eyed peas ready to cook for dinner and got my kiss last night!

I think the peas are definitely a southern thing - I grew up in Texas & my dad is from Louisiana - he is the one that always had them ready to serve up on NYs even though I wasn''t crazy about them. Now I douse them in Tobasco and think they''re yummy!!

All the rest are foreign to me - good grief, if we couldn''t leave the house until someone else entered we''d be stuck here for days, maybe weeks!!

 

[DiamondPrincess]

Date: 1/1/2006 3:28:32 PM
Author: teebee
The only ones that I am familiar with are eating black-eyed peas on NYs day - although I''ve never heard of 1 bean = 1 day part - and the kiss @ midnight. I''ve got some frozen black-eyed peas ready to cook for dinner and got my kiss last night!

I think the peas are definitely a southern thing - I grew up in Texas & my dad is from Louisiana - he is the one that always had them ready to serve up on NYs even though I wasn''t crazy about them. Now I douse them in Tobasco and think they''re yummy!!

All the rest are foreign to me - good grief, if we couldn''t leave the house until someone else entered we''d be stuck here for days, maybe weeks!!

I agree with the not leaving the house part. My family lived on farm and I can just picture them and their neighbors sitting around the house for a month waiting for a visitor. Plus they had a gaggle of redheaded kids so nobody wanted them to come visit!

My Mammaw was way superstious so we HAD to follow these to a tee. I personally think she made up the ''no housework'' and ''no washing clothes and dishes'' ones. But, hey, wouldn''t want bad luck this year so NO HOUSEWORK FOR ME TODAY!!!!

 

[teebee]

Date: 1/1/2006 3:43:52 PM
Author: DiamondPrincess

Date: 1/1/2006 3:28:32 PM
Author: teebee
The only ones that I am familiar with are eating black-eyed peas on NYs day - although I''ve never heard of 1 bean = 1 day part - and the kiss @ midnight. I''ve got some frozen black-eyed peas ready to cook for dinner and got my kiss last night!

I think the peas are definitely a southern thing - I grew up in Texas & my dad is from Louisiana - he is the one that always had them ready to serve up on NYs even though I wasn''t crazy about them. Now I douse them in Tobasco and think they''re yummy!!

All the rest are foreign to me - good grief, if we couldn''t leave the house until someone else entered we''d be stuck here for days, maybe weeks!!

I agree with the not leaving the house part. My family lived on farm and I can just picture them and their neighbors sitting around the house for a month waiting for a visitor. Plus they had a gaggle of redheaded kids so nobody wanted them to come visit!

My Mammaw was way superstious so we HAD to follow these to a tee. I personally think she made up the ''no housework'' and ''no washing clothes and dishes'' ones. But, hey, wouldn''t want bad luck this year so NO HOUSEWORK FOR ME TODAY!!!!

Awwww, you had a Mammaw??? I had a Memaw!!! She was my great-granny. I''m glad you think your Mammaw made up the no housework/dishes/clothes ''cause I''ve done a ton of dishes today - hopefully I haven''t washed anyone away!!

 

[njc]

Date: 1/1/2006 1:14:52 PM
Author:DiamondPrincess
I don''t know if these traditions are just a southern thing or if the rest of the world has heard of them, but I grew up with them so I thought I''d share a few.

1. Eating black-eyed peas-They bring you good luck. You eat one bean for each day of the coming year(365 peas

)
2. Eating cabbage-The green leaves represent money.You will be prosperous in the new year.
3. Do as little work as possible on NYday- too much work means extra hard work in the year to come.
6. Kiss a loved one at midnight- to insure love and affection in the coming year.
--------
8. Don''t leave your home until someone enters first-Bad luck if the first person in your house(called a first footer) is a redhead!!!This means a disaster in the year to come. The first footer must leave through a differant door than they entered.

I deleted the ones that my family doesnt do, not to say that my grandmothers didnt, i just dont remember! And by chance this year, we had visitors enter before we left our house, although not something that has to be done for us!

And i had a Mee-maw too Teebee... how cute!!!