Have you ever wondered why people follow certain rituals when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve?
Across cultures and continents, humans have practiced special customs to mark meaningful transitions with intention and optimism.
These practices reflect a shared belief in setting the tone for what lies ahead. They connect us to generations who came before and believed in the power of intention.
The common thread is hope for balance, growth, and emotional fulfillment. Whether rooted in ancient folklore or modern beliefs, these customs bring communities together in celebration.
In this blog, I’ll show you some time-tested New Year traditions that cultures worldwide practice to attract good fortune.
21 New Year Traditions for Good Luck
People across the globe follow special rituals on New Year’s Eve to invite prosperity, health, and happiness into their lives.
1. Eating Black Eyed Peas
Consuming black eyed peas as your first meal of the year is believed to bring financial success and monetary gains throughout the coming months.
- Country: United States (Southern regions)
- Best time: January 1st breakfast or lunch
- What it symbolizes: Coins and monetary abundance for the upcoming months
2. Wearing White Clothes
Dressing completely in white from head to toe welcomes peace, purity, and positive energy as you step into the new year with fresh intentions.
- Country: Brazil
- Best time: All day and night on December 31st
- What it symbolizes: Inner calm and mental clarity when entering a new cycle
3. Eating Midnight Grapes
Spanish tradition involves eating twelve grapes at midnight, one with each bell chime, to secure monthly good fortune for the entire upcoming year.
- Country: Spain
- Best time: Exactly at midnight as bells ring
- What it symbolizes: Success and prosperity for each of the twelve months ahead
4. Kissing at Midnight
Sharing a kiss the exact moment the new year begins strengthens romantic bonds and ensures love and affection last throughout the next twelve months.
- Country: Practiced globally, with origins in European cultures
- Best time: Right when the clock strikes twelve
- What it symbolizes: Love connection and romantic happiness throughout the coming year
5. Making a Loud Noise
Creating loud sounds with fireworks, party poppers, pots, pans, or horns scares away evil spirits and negative energy, protecting your home from misfortune and bad influences.
- Country: Multiple countries, including China and the Philippines
- Best time: Midnight on New Year’s Eve
- What it symbolizes: Protection from bad luck and harmful supernatural forces
6. Cleaning House Early
Thoroughly cleaning your entire home before December 31st ends removes old dirt, clutter, and accumulated misfortune, preparing space for incoming blessings and opportunities.
- Country: Japan
- Best time: Days leading up to December 31st
- What it symbolizes: Clearing past clutter to create space for upcoming opportunities
7. Opening Doors Midnight
Opening all doors and windows at midnight allows the old year to escape while simultaneously inviting new opportunities, fresh air, and positive changes inside.
- Country: Philippines and Latin American countries
- Best time: Precisely at the stroke of midnight
- What it symbolizes: Letting go of the old year while allowing change to enter freely
8. Jumping Ocean Waves
Jumping over seven consecutive ocean waves while making wishes honors water goddesses and requests their favor for blessings, love, and prosperity in life ahead.
- Country: Brazil
- Best time: Midnight at the beach on December 31st
- What it symbolizes: Respect for nature deities and requests for granted wishes
9. Eating Long Noodles
Consuming extra-long noodles without cutting or breaking them ensures a lengthy, healthy life for everyone gathered at the table sharing this special meal.
- Country: China and other Asian nations
- Best time: New Year’s Eve dinner or Day meal
- What it symbolizes: Longevity and extended lifespan for family members eating together
10. Skipping Laundry Day
Avoiding washing clothes on January 1st prevents washing away family members or household luck, keeping everyone safe and fortune firmly rooted in your home.
- Country: Various cultures, including Filipino and Chinese communities
- Best time: Do not wash on January 1st
- What it symbolizes: Keeping family members safe and luck firmly in the household
11. Wearing New Clothes
Putting on brand new garments on the first day symbolizes shedding the past, starting fresh, and welcoming improved circumstances with a renewed spirit daily.
- Country: Korea and parts of Asia
- Best time: First thing in the morning of January 1st
- What it symbolizes: Personal changeover and a better version of yourself in the future
12. Eating Round Fruits
Displaying and eating round fruits brings prosperity because their circular shape represents coins, completeness, wealth, and the continuous cycle of financial abundance and family unity.
- Country: Philippines and Asian cultures
- Best time: Throughout New Year’s Eve and Day
- What it symbolizes: Wealth accumulation and family unity in a circular gathering formation
13. Breaking Plates Tradition
Throwing old dishes at friends’ doorsteps shows affection and friendship, with more broken plates outside your door indicating stronger bonds and loyal companions.
- Country: Denmark
- Best time: Night of December 31st at neighbors’ homes
- What it symbolizes: Strong social bonds and a pile of friends caring for you
14. Ringing Bells Midnight
Ringing temple bells 108 times cleanses human sins and purifies the soul, preparing individuals for righteous living and spiritual growth throughout the coming year.
- Country: Japan (Buddhist temples)
- Best time: Starting just before midnight, continuing after
- What it symbolizes: Spiritual cleansing from 108 earthly desires, causing human suffering
15. Wearing Red Underwear
Wearing red undergarments beneath your regular clothes on New Year’s Eve attracts romance, passion, love, and exciting intimate connections into your personal life.
- Country: Italy, Spain, and Latin America
- Best time: All day, December 31st in regular clothes
- What it symbolizes: Romantic encounters and passionate relationships forming in the coming months
16. Lighting Midnight Candles
Lighting candles in every room at midnight illuminates dark corners throughout your house, inviting brightness, warmth, clarity, and positive energy into living spaces.
- Country: Various European countries
- Best time: Right at midnight throughout the house
- What it symbolizes: Bringing warmth and awareness into spaces once left unseen
17. Smashing Pomegranate Fruit
Smashing a ripe pomegranate on your doorstep scatters seeds everywhere, with more scattered seeds indicating greater abundance, fertility, and blessings arriving in life.
- Country: Greece
- Best time: Upon entering home after midnight celebration
- What it symbolizes: Fertility, abundance, and numerous blessings scattering into life
18. Burning Wish Paper
Writing wishes or negative memories on paper, then burning them, releases your desires to the universe or eliminates negativity holding you back permanently.
- Country: Latin American countries
- Best time: Just before or right at midnight
- What it symbolizes: Manifestation of goals and elimination of past burdens weighing down
19. Eating Pork Dishes
Eating pork represents forward progress because pigs root ahead with their snouts, symbolizing moving toward goals rather than dwelling on past mistakes or regrets.
- Country: Germany, Austria, and Cuba
- Best time: New Year’s Eve dinner feast
- What it symbolizes: Forward momentum and progression toward goals without backward thinking
20. Eating Leafy Greens
Consuming collard greens, kale, or cabbage brings financial gain because the green leaves closely resemble folded paper money and represent growing wealth accumulation.
- Country: United States and Germany
- Best time: January 1st meal alongside other dishes
- What it symbolizes: Monetary wealth and financial security growing throughout twelve months
21. Making Midnight Wish
Closing your eyes at midnight to make a silent personal wish works because the decisive transitional moment between years amplifies manifestation energy significantly.
- Country: Global practice in various forms
- Best time: Exact moment the clock changes to midnight
- What it symbolizes: Focusing the mind on goals during a decisive turning moment
Wrapping It Up
Each of these global traditions carries centuries of cultural wisdom and ancestral beliefs passed down through generations.
The beauty lies in choosing what resonates most strongly with your personal values and heritage you wish to honor.
Remember that the true power comes from the positive mindset and intentional energy you bring to these meaningful rituals.
Whether you follow one tradition or combine several, the goal remains to invite better opportunities ahead.
Try incorporating a few customs into your celebration and notice the difference they make.
What tradition from your own culture do you practice, or which one excites you most? Share your favorite New Year rituals in the comments below!
