New Year's Eve Traditions to Welcome 2024
- themarigoldgc
- Dec 31, 2023
- 6 min read
I have had such a wonderful year this year, so many lovely things happened...
The renovation was completed by the end of March so I have had a lovely new kitchen, the sauna, a more practical layout, a lovely home to be in for a good part of the year. Having the house finally completed (no more dust, dirt, living in tight quarters) made a huge difference to my everyday well-being. Living in a renovation zone is no joke.
I have met some lovely people in our new town, a couple I knew when I lived here as a teenager, but most are brand new friends.
The gardens came together in time for planting. Yes, there are changes and tweaks to be made, but for the most part, it was a wonderful gardening season.
My most favourite son ( not to worry, I only have the one, hah) came to for a short holiday in summer, so we got to hang out with no time/work constraints. We both enjoy having long discussions about current events, or sometimes any old, obscure topic.
I am looking forward to 2024 with both happiness and anticipation. Let's see what the year has in store. To (hopefully) tip the odds in my favour, I enjoy doing some of these traditions on new year's eve. Am I superstitious? Well, yes, a little bit, but mostly, I just really enjoy the pomp of rituals and traditions.
1- Start with a clean house and fresh bedding. I start the eve by cleaning the house, washing our bedding, and doing laundry. To clean tomorrow, on New Year's Day, you risk bad luck, or worse. So, I am doing my part to keep the luck inside the house by starting off the new year with fresh bedding and clean floors.
2- Burning Bowl Ritual. This one is my most favourite of all. Shed yourself of anything you want to leave behind from the past year, and welcome the new year feeling free of anything weighing you down. I like this one as it involves fire!
Write down on a slip of paper what you want to rid yourself of from the year 2023 on a slip of paper. Write as many slips as you need for each unhappy or negative thought, memory, happening. This can be done at anytime during the evening.
Light a candle in a bowl, or gather around a firepit outdoors. Touch the slip of paper to the flame, hold it till it gets too close to your fingers and then drop it into the bowl to finish up. As you watch the paper burn, visualize your unwanted thought rising up in the smoke, being released from you. Allow yourself to experience whatever you are feeling: fear, anxiety, sadness, loss, gratitude, and let those feelings lift as the slip(s) burns.
3- Burn A Wish . This is kind of like the second part of the above. You can do one or both. As close to midnight as you can, write a wish or a resolution on a slip of paper and burn the slip to make your wish come true. This can be something you are hoping will come your way in the new year, or a resolution that you hope to keep.
4- Smudge The House. Cleanse the house of all energy to create a new and welcoming environment for the new year.
I have several smudges that I can use but have decided to use the one you see in the picture above that was locally made with cedar, lemon balm, sage, and lavender to purify, connect, cleanse, and heal, plus mint for happiness. Sounds like the perfect combination for tonight.
Some say to open the windows as you do this to allow the energy to escape, which kind of fits in with one of the other traditions you can read about below. You can say a mantra at the same time, if you wish. Am I a bit hippy dippy and crazy? Yep, maybe a bit ; )
5- Light a candle . There are many varied traditions that revolve around lighting candles on the eve, depending on your religion or culture. In my (Finnish) family, we always light a candle to remember and honour deceased family members. We use a nice, big candle that will burn for many hours, or even days.
6- Open Doors. If you are able to stay up till midnight, this Irish tradition is a nice one that I like to do. Open the back door wide to let the old year out, and the front door to let the new year in.
Some Other Traditions....
Make a resolution. Are you making one? I sure am! Will put it on my slip of paper to burn. The past two years, my resolutions have been about making changes for better health. As I have that well under hand and continue on that journey, my resolution this year will be something new and different.
Not a fan of resolutions? Here are some other new year's traditions that I think are lovely... and hey, who says you need to do just one thing? I do many of these!
Pick a word of the year. Just one word that sums up what you want the year ahead to look like and to be. You might choose mindfulness, intent, charity, or maybe simplify, self-love, growth, or maybe grace or strength. Just one word that helps you set a goal to aim for this year. Place this word where you will see it each day.
Choose a New Year's Intention. A positive vision for the year ahead that is broader than a resolution. Resolutions are generally more specific, while with an intention you can set your vision with a mood board, or a mantra. Something like 'Let it go' or "Find joy in the everyday', or maybe 'See goodness around me'. What about 'Find beauty in your day'? 'Be mindful' or 'Lead by example'. My mantra last year was 'Go forth with faith and courage'.
Or maybe you like some of these fun ideas....
Wear red underwear to find love, or yellow to increase your wealth.
Hoping to do more traveling in 2024? After midnight, grab your luggage and take it for a stroll around the block for more chances to travel in the new year.
Sweep the bad energy out of your house. Make sure to clean the floors, the shelves, and the closets before midnight on New Year's Eve.
Eat 12 grapes, one for every month of the year, eat them for good luck as the clock counts down to midnight.
Wear polka dots for good luck in the new year (my paper slips are polka-dotted, I hope that counts).
Kiss a loved one. They say that the first person you come into contact with in the new year dictates your destiny. See below for something similar.
Several countries have a tradition about a 'first footer'. The first person to enter a house on New Year’s Day brings either good or bad luck to the household, so chose your first visitor wisely ; ) A dark haired male is is considered the luckiest, the best harbinger of good fortune. It should not be a person who lives in the home, rather a friend, stranger, or someone from the extended family. The first-foot should also bring gifts for the household symbolic gifts, such as a silver coin, a lump of coal, a piece of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt or whisky. These represent prosperity, warmth, food, longevity, and good cheer.
I saved one of the best ones for last... A Stocked Pantry. A pantry stocked full of staples on new year's eve symbolizes a bountiful year to come. It never hurts to have extra foods and basics in the pantry, this one certainly cannot hurt, and might just bring good fortune to your home, and bounty in 2024.
I didn't used to do much to welcome in the new year but starting doing some of these rituals during the pandemic. I really felt that all that bad luck and energy had to leave the house for a fresh start in the new year. Sure, it might not do anything, but it makes me feel better, feel like I am doing something positive and proactive, and that is the main thing.
I likely won't be up at midnight as I am too old and tired for that, but the new year will be welcomed with a little bit of retrospection, a clean house (just in case), a semi full pantry, and a whole lot of hope for what is to come.
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