Congratulations. You’ve made it through the seemingly never-ending year of 2020. We are here to help you ring in the New Year with some boss ass traditions stemming from Ireland.
- Banging the Bread – Tradition calls for beating bread against the doorways and walls as a way of beating out bad spirits & energy. In return, this will allow good energy back into the home.
- Total Home-Makeover – Ever hear of spring cleaning? Well, obviously it’s not spring time, but the concept is the same. The thought behind this thorough house cleaning is that you start the new year with a new and clean slate.
- Honoring The Departed – On the Eve of the New Year, families set out a place at the table for those they had lost that year. They may even leave windows and doors open to invite the spirits of their loved ones to join in on the festivities.
- Mistletoe, Holly and Ivy Under the Pillow – For all you single ladies out there, this tradition is said to spur on dreams of your future partner. It also supposedly guarantees that your partner, once found, will be approved by the family for marriage and will bring honor. (Maybe I’ll be trying this one out myself this year!)
- Westerly Winds – If the wind is blowing in the direction of the west, that means good luck for all of Ireland. However, if it’s blowing east, the luck will shift to Britain, leaving Ireland cautious of what ominous message may be in store for the year.
- First Through the Door – After the New Year, you’ll want the first person entering your home to be a “dark, tall, and handsome man” to bring you good luck. It’s considered bad to have a woman be the first to enter the home, not to mention if that woman has red hair.
- Enter Through the Front and Out Through the Back – After the stroke of midnight, Mr. Dark-Tall-And-Handsome, followed by the remainder of your guests, enter your home through the front door and when departing, leave through the back door. This is considered good luck.