4. Ring a Bell
This is a Japanese tradition that stems from Buddhism. If you happen to be in Japan you can hear some temples ring a large bell 108 times. You may be wondering why 108. It is quite an odd number right? Well, it is because in Buddhism the number 108 signifies the number of earthly desires that everyone has which also happen to bestow suffering upon people. That’s why they ring the bell, to purify the people for the new year.
Why not take a page from their book and ring a bell as well? It would not hurt to try, and having your soul and mind purified will bring along luck into the new year.
5. Smash Plates
Yes, you read that right. While other cultures have traditions that involve having as much food as possible on your plate, or they speak about specific foods or types of dishes you should have when the clock strikes 12, people in Denmark make different use of their plates. Let us be honest, we all have at least one type of dish, be it a plate, a cup, or a bowl, that we never use, despite it being in our cupboard. Or that one serving plate you never use? Yeah, those would be perfect contenders for this tradition.
People in Denmark take these dishes, they have to be breakable, to their friends’ houses. Then, they throw them at their door! For a good cause though and definitely affectionately! By shattering them against the door they welcome the happier vibes into the home, by replacing the bad spirits warded off by the plate breaking. There is something about the chaos that those bad spirits do not enjoy.
Do not worry, no one does this without permission and, if anything, it is a very good stress reliever! Don’t be shy, surely we’ve all had those moments when we felt like shattering a glass.
6. Coins
Bolivia has a very interesting and very sweet tradition when it comes to being lucky in the New Year. That is, they bake coins into cakes for the festive occasion. That is one coin per cake. The person who receives the cake slice with the coin is thought to be very lucky when it comes to money in the year to come. One sweet and wealth-inducing tradition, you just have to be very careful when eating the cake so you do not break a tooth.
They are not the only ones that have traditions revolving around coins and money, as more countries have the tradition to either have money in your pocket when the clock strikes 12! Others believe that if you toss a coin into the river you will have good luck in the new year.
Of course, all of these are rooted in superstitions. However, it would not hurt to try them out, we have nothing to lose!
How lucky do you feel?
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