New years day superstitions

Yes sent dark haired son out back & back in front with a piece of coal as first footer.But id never heard of the dont wash or take anything out thing and trust me my late mum would have told me that if it were a superstition she knew them all- it must a newer one that..i just hope it werent new years day when i did a few bits🤔🙄

t

Always let the New Year in first going out the back door n coming in the front. I loved all the ships hooters sounding at New Years Eve on the Manchester Ship Canal. Many many years ago

I’ve heard of first-footing and do remember it happening at parents’ NYE parties in the 60s (nowhere near Scotland!) but I’d never heard of any of the others, and my folks were born in 1916 and 1918, so you’d think they might have adhered to some old superstitions.

I didn't do any washing yesterday, left it for today. It was very nice having a whole day with nothing on my to-do list.
I'm not superstitious, but it was a very good excuse

Knittingnovice I've just realised this isn't a "superstition" in my house - never was. It's a happily passed on jolly ritual marking time.

It feels more like singing "happy birthday" than greeting magpies or not opening an umbrella in the house.

I suppose it may fall into the superstition category but it's not like any others I know.

We always followed my mum’s nye - coal, bread, coppers in hand. Go out the back door 5 mins before midnight, kicking the old year out with you. Round to the front door, knock at midnight, take in your gifts to symbolise having all you need for the new year. Everyone has a whisky. We are in the north west. It’s a common tradition here.

Today I’m going to start taking the decorations down. Looking forward to a bit of a clean up.

Thanks everybody. It felt good to clean and sort out cupboards, so I'm holding onto that instead of the superstition.

Lovely NotSpag. This year we were singing and dancing but they didn’t even have Auld Lang Syne. A lot of us missed it. Sweet Caroline aint quite the same !

We let the new year in with
bread 🍞,
coal 🪨,
a candle 🕯
and a nice single malt 🥃.

The coal has been the same piece for many years (40+) and lives under the stairs wrapped in tinfoil.... obviously the whisky hasn't been stored that long!

Like some upthread we bring the new year into every room.
We used to have neighbours who would 1st foot with us. Sadly no longer.

I took the Christmas tree down, did the washing, changed the bedding and went for a swim because by then I was drenched in perspiration. It’s hot here now, a bit too hot. Early for taking the tree down but we are going down the beach for a couple of weeks and I didn’t want to come back to it. Seeing as how the
Christmas cards are still rolling in I left those up.

I've done all those things, too. If certain jobs need doing, it doesn't matter what day it is. I did some washing on Christmas day, too

We haven't done first footing since we left London years ago. I took all the decorations and cleaned up tiday. DH did a pile of ironing and then we went out for a lovely lunch. Watched Cleopatra this afternoon...I had never seen the whole thing before it's a long film but I really enjoyed it.

Ah, the old traditions that stick with you. We still do first footing. In our version, from my Durham childhood, DH (or another dark-haired man if I had one) has to be the first over the threshold on New Year’s Day with a piece of bread for sustenance, coal for heat, a shiny coin for wealth, a twist of salt for….not sure what really, and a bottle of whisky to toast the New Year. Our whisky bottle was nearly empty this year and looked a bit pathetic so we substituted a full bottle of gin for it.

We’ve to toast the New Year with a spirit or liqueur, as it sets the tone for the rest of the year.

I don’t do housework on New Year’s Day - according to the “rules” I should do a good clean on NYE but I’ve let that bit of the tradition slide.

As for finger and toenails, my mam would have had fits if we’d cut them on a Sunday*, but I’ve never heard about it being unlucky on NYD.

Cut them on Monday, cut them for news
Cut them on Tuesday for a new pair of shoes
Cut them on Wednesday cut them for sorrow
Cut them on Thursday see your sweetheart tomorrow
I’ve forgotten what happens on Friday and Saturday, but….
Cut them on Sunday your safety go seek, for Satan will have you the whole of the week.

Oh no, I did a red wash today, the Christmas tablecloth and napkins, and hung them on the washing line. What will the neighbours think!

DH is very strict on the no washing on New Year’s Day largely as a neighbour’s child sadly died of cot death. DH was seven, the neighbour did the washing on New Year’s Day much to the consternation of the neighbours and a few days later the child died. Obviously, it was just a very sad and tragic coincidence, but DH said that it still makes his blood run cold. So no washing in our house on New Year’s Day

I think 'How you spend 1st Jan will be how you spend the year' is why people don't do washing or cleaning on NYD. I think my mum said you shouldn't cut toenails on that day either, but I may have imagined that. I did mine yesterday just in case, likewise laundry.

My DH family line is gypsy/carnival folk so have rituals for a lot of things.
The new year one is , If you do washing you are washing someone out of the family. So if family member dies in next year and you washed on new years day you were responsible , also anything you do on that day you will be doing for the rest of the year. I have no such beliefs but do very little as it upsets him

The cleaning should be done on Hogmanay. I’ve broken my right shoulder so can do very little but DH has emptied and cleaned the crockery cupboards, bless him.
I would be very upset if the bins were emptied today, certainly no washing!
My first foot was my sister but she did bring blackbun.
I don’t consider myself a superstitious person but the rituals of New Year are very important to me.

We had to clean the house hoover empty the bins and again first footer would be my dad tall dark and handsome. He would take a piece of coal and bottle of whiskey out and be let in as the bells strike midnight. Still clean my house but youngest son is the good looking first footer now!

Oh no...I thought I knew most of the olden day superstitions- Mum was pretty strict that we stuck by them,
but didn't know about not laundering on New Year's Day.
I thought that only referred to Good Friday...today I've done 2 loads to catch up from last week...

My dear In- laws are Scottish. They loved their New Year and had their traditions/ superstition.
My MiL served Meat pies, DH loved them, FiL went out First Footing, DH has done this in the past he still has a" clean" face /shave just before midnight.
My MiL nearly had a fit when I did a load of washing on New year's day.

I had never heard of any of this until I got married.

eazybee

I have never heard these superstitions before but i bet they were invented by exhausted housewives.

😂 brilliant!!

I have never heard these superstitions before but i bet they were invented by exhausted housewives.

kittylester

My nan said doing any washing on New Year's Day was really bad luck. I don't believe in those old superstitions but I never do any washing - just to be on the safe side.

Someone told me once that it's bad luck to do washing on New Year's Day and I wish she'd never told me!

We haven't done the first footing (oh dear!)

Its steak pie for dinner .used to be at midnight when I was wee,then the adults would all go off round the neighbours parties and come home at daybreak or later .Sober...ish because of the midnight food.
My Scottish friend told me about the steak pie and her parents first footing around the neighbours. She used to say she disliked New Year, apart from the steak pie.

Happy 2023 lets hope its a better year than the past 3 have been for a lot of us

Yes, I'll second that!

My OH first foots us and has since my Dad died Dad did it when we got married and left me the piece of coal and salt he brought with him...we ate the black bun an the whisky was drunk .So we've always used the same coal and salt every year and its put away ntil the next .We open the doors and windows to let out the old year ,we used to hear all the ships horns on the Clyde but there aren't many now .The calendar has to be taken down at midnight and replaced by the new year's.
Its steak pie for dinner .used to be at midnight when I was wee,then the adults would all go off round the neighbours parties and come home at daybreak or later .Sober...ish because of the midnight food .
Its not the same now ,most in our street go to hotels for " the bells" so its quiet .We had just two callers this years who only stayed for an hour or so .My sons family will be here anytime for the steak pie dinner and trifle .Happy 2023 lets hope its a better year than the past 3 have been for a lot of us