*Ø* Blogmanac | New Year's customs and folklore



Happy New Year!
New Year’s Day is a holiday in 162 nations of the world. In Britain there is an old custom that you should take nothing out of the house today, not even garbage.

Take out, then take in
Bad luck will begin
Take in, then take out
Good luck comes about

If you must carry something out, make sure to bring something in first. The best thing is a coin which you have hidden outside on New Year’s Eve.

An old British tradition has it that you should not lend matches, or fuel, to anyone today, or you’ll lack fire all year. And don’t lend money to anyone, or you’ll be without it this year.

Welsh Callenig
The Welsh give a Calennig today. It’s a New Year’s apple, stuck with wheat, oats, nuts and evergreen leaves. Its covered in flour and gold paint or leaf, and stands on a tripod of rowan or holly skewers for luck. These woods are ancient Druidic magic charms, as is the apple itself.

Yulekebbuck
The Scots at New Year traditionally eat Yulekebbuck, or Christmas cheese. The first Monday in January is their public holiday, which they call Handsel Monday.

Pocket full of money
In Scotland, Wales and the border counties of England, an old tradition is for children to go singing door to door on New Year’s morning, for which they will be rewarded with coins, sweets, fruit or mince pies. A typical song goes:

I wish you a merry Christmas
A Happy New Year.
A pocket full of money
And a cellar full of beer.
A good fat pig
To last you all the year.
Please to give a New Year’s gift
For this New Year.

This is just a snippet of today's stories. Read all about New Year's Day in folklore, historical oddities, inspiration and alternatives at the Wilson's Almanac Book of Days, every day. Click today's date when you're there.