New Year’s wasn’t always celebrated at the end of December. In fact, the first recorded celebration of a new year is around four thousand years old when the Babylonians marked their new year on the first new moon after the spring equinox. January 1 became the first day of the new year under Julius Caesar. Janus is the Roman God of new beginnings and so they named the month that now contained the first day of the year after Janus. Lots of cultures celebrate based on the lunar calendar or other ancient calendars that have nothing at all to do with January.
If you’re interested in bringing a little extra good fortune to the next year, you might want to try out some of these New Year’s traditions:
Invite a male guest through the front door and hope he’s bringing gifts!
Paint your door read to encourage prosperity
Serve lentils, or other coin shaped foods to bring in some financial gain
Hide some little treasures or treats in your food, whoever finds it will get some extra luck
Clean the house to sweep out anything negative from the old year
Eat twelve grapes at the strike of midnight
Spend time with good friends and family, because what better way to ensure a prosperous and happy year than to spend it with those you love.
Whenever you celebrate, I hope that the new year ahead of you brings you everything you desire. Health, happiness and love to you all 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
-Erin