This Is The First Day Of The Rest Of Your Year

Many cultures have New Years rituals. Here in New Orleans having a meal of black eye peas and cabbage (or collard greens) insures good luck and prosperity for the coming year (Beano jokes allowed).
There is a universal tradition that whatever you do on the first day of the year, will be what you do all year long. Alberto and I will dance a tango for sure.
Reading the New York Times today, I learned about Colombians and other South Americans who would like to travel in the coming year, walk around their house with a suitcase.
I have been in Madrid for New Years and was served a small Limoges dish of peeled green grapes by a uniformed maid in a very fancy house, and I was expected to eat one at every stroke of the clock at midnight striking the new year. Again luck is insured for each grape you manage to choke down.
I learned Danes jump off chairs, leaping into the new year. Does the style of chair matter? Danish modern as opposed to an antique French beauty?

from Joni

Filipinos wear clothes especially made with deep pockets, and fill those pockets with coins and fresh bills. They jingle the pockets at midnight on New Years Eve believing the noise will attract prosperity in the coming year. I myself have jangled an armful of bangles ala Auntie Mame hoping for the same effect.
Buying and wearing new clothes to celebrate the new year is common in many cultures. Red and yellow seem to be the favored colors, and in Venezuela people give each other yellow underwear to wear into the new year for luck.
Fireworks are universally used to signify the symbol of light for the new year. Here in New Orleans they are deemed illegal, but nobody told all the folks everywhere exploding them from early afternoon into next week.

Mid City New Orleans Bon Fire
Everybody drags their dead Christmas tree
to the neutral ground (that be a median to you)
and a huge fire is lighted

The Brits have one I really like: the first person over your threshold in the new year is the measure of the household's luck for the year. Apparently they like a tall, healthy, strapping, dark haired man carrying symbols of abundance (coal for the fire, bread for the table, and whiskey for the head of the household) whose foot should be the first foot in the door.
I'd like to dictate my own symbols of abundance: a pair of Swank lamps,

from Ed at Swank Lighting

...a Julie Neill chandelier,

contact Director of Sales Julie Ponze
This beauty "Cinderella 8" is in stock and ready to ship!
juliewebmail@g.mail.com

...an open ended gift card to Shabby Slips,

from Joni

...and Suzanis and Ikats and...

from ABC Carpet and Home

....decor books oh my!
In one part of Japan there is a Festival of Abusive Language. And they're not talking about all those year long Anon blog comments! Apparently one climbs a hill to a temple while screaming curses at employers, politicians, teachers (what about grouchy spouses, bratty children, snotty sales people, customer "service" phone reps?). Once purged by yelling they go into the temple to celebrate various ceremonies, free to allow happiness to flow in the next months.
So my dear bloggers, I sit here in new yellow underwear, screaming at the economy, jumping off my Ghost Chair, stuffing my face with peas and greens and grapes, setting off firecrackers (is that a fart joke?!), jangling my bracelets; inviting in George Clooney bearing gifts of abundance.
And most of all I am blogging.
And dancing that tango with dear Alberto, both of which I hope to do in the coming year.
What rituals do you partake in for luck in the coming new year?
Wishing you luck, love, prosperity, health, time, all the good things you desire for the coming year.

Posted in: Holidays, New Year