All of us are ready for 2021, so let’s get ready to usher in a brand new year! No matter what you’re doing (or where you’re partying), it’s always fun to engage in traditions with roots in multiple cultures and across hundreds of years. And hey, this year’s been tough - maybe try to do all four!
Lucky Food
Especially in the south, food is a serious source of luck. Eating black-eyed peas is one of the most common foods consumed, but have you ever wondered why? Supposedly, during the Civil War, the Union army was raiding Confederate food stores and believed that the black-eyed peas and salted pork were animal feed. This was lucky for the hungry soldiers who later found it. It also explains why pork is another of the foods enjoyed on this holiday, along with collard greens (eating these means you may come into some cash in the new year) and cornbread (for “golden opportunities”).
Popping Open a Bottle of Bubbly
Champagne is the signature drink of New Year’s Eve. All over the world, people pop open bottles, clink their glasses, and take a sip at the stroke of midnight. Champagne’s best-kept secret is that there’s not really a specific reason to drink it. In the late 1700’s, French champagne makers began building a link between the parties of their dismantled royal family and the celebrations held in family homes. Before long, champagne became a staple drink for festive in-home occasions.
Lots of Lights and Noise
As the Chinese were the inventors of fireworks, it’s only natural that this tradition stems from them. It’s believed that setting off firecrackers, fireworks, and otherwise making a lot of noise helps drive off any bad spirits and evil tidings that might try to ruin the coming year. This fun tradition is now embedded in New Year’s celebrations around the world. In some homes, front doors are thrown open during the fireworks and families will beat pots and pans or use noisemakers to help clear the air for the new year.
Sharing a Kiss at Midnight
When the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve, people pucker up to before the first minute of the new year is over. This tradition is rooted in the idea that a kiss is good luck, a notion originating as far back as the Renaissance. Over time, the English and German peoples adopted the tradition but believed that they had to kiss the first person they came across, an action that would have an effect on the events in the future year. Obviously no one wants to kiss a total stranger, so people made sure to be close to their preferred kiss recipient for that special moment.