New Year's traditions, charms and good luck

[lady_disdain]

I am putting together "New Year Baskets" as Christmas gifts. I want to include all sorts of things that will bring good luck and fortune in the coming year. I already have some of our local traditions covered but I wanted to include things from all over the world. Each item will have a small card attached, explaining where the tradition is from and how it works. Considering that there is a week between Christmas and New Year, I won't include anything perishable.

So far, I have:

- Sea salt for cleansing and good luck (local)
- Herbal soap to wash away the old energy (local)
- Lentils (this seems to be very common and not place specific)
- Polka dot scarf (Phillipines - the round dots represent money)
- Small bottle of champagne
- Bay leaf (to be kept in the wallet to bring money)
- Some white clothing (for peace in the new year)

Any other ideas? I want to make each basket different, personalized, so I need plenty of ideas. The more unusual and curious, the better.

[redsfan]

We do sauerkraut.  Our history is very tied to German traditions.
http://www.foodtimeline.org/newyear.html

[magicdomino]

Black-eyed peas (coins) and collard greens (paper money), although I have no idea how collard greens would work in a basket.  A recipe, perhaps?

I believe the Spanish eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each month.

[faithlessone]

My dad's family is from Newcastle (UK), with a bit of Scottish ancestry.

In Scotland and Northern England, there's the traditional "First Footing". On New Year's, just after midnight, a dark-haired man comes to the door, bearing gifts that represent a year of prosperity for the house. (My Dad does it for his parents, has done every year since he left home 27 years ago!!)

The gifts can include a bit of coal, some bread, salt, a coin, or a tot of whiskey.

[RebeccainGA]

We do a traditional new year's meal - rice for luck, collard greens for money, black eyed peas for health and pork roast because it goes well with everything else (and is supposed to represent bounty in some cultures).

I've heard all my life you shouldn't do laundry or cleaning on New Years Day - maybe some stain wipes and handi-wipes, since you don't want to do laundry or clean anything...

[yachtchick]

Black eyed peas and pork - you can buy this is cans I think - if not then a bag of black eyed peas and small can of pork sausage will do the trick. The southern US tradition is that this will be the poorest meal you will eat all year. 

[WillyNilly]

How about a Hershey's kiss, because, well everyone deserves a kiss on New Year's!

[guihong]

I've heard you "sweep out the bad" on NYE, so maybe a tiny broom, like from a dollhouse?

[MindsEye]

I believe the Spanish eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, one for each month.

Exactly!  It is supposed to ensure that you have a sweet year.

Another thing that my family does on New Years eve is the peppermint pig - http://www.catholicsupply.com/christmas/peppermintpig.html
Yeah, I know if it supposed to be done at Christmas, but we tend to do it at New Years instead.

[lady_disdain]

Great ideas! Hershey kisses and brooms are certainly in. I am going to look for a peppermint pig locally. If I can't find one, would marzipan do?

I think I am going to vary the legume in each basket (lentil, black eyed peas, beans).

[DottyG]

First of all, I second the blackeyed peas, collard greens and hamhocks from the others.  Those are required.

This is off-base!  But I think I'd put in a little calendar or something to signify that we ARE going to have a New Year.  After all, isn't the world supposed to end in December?!   Maybe something that shows hope and promise of a 2013!

[lady_disdain]

First of all, I second the blackeyed peas, collard greens and hamhocks from the others.  Those are required.

This is off-base!  But I think I'd put in a little calendar or something to signify that we ARE going to have a New Year.  After all, isn't the world supposed to end in December?!   Maybe something that shows hope and promise of a 2013!

[Ereine]

This is probably not easy to put together but our New Year's tradition is to take tiny horse shoes made of some metal that melts, melt them over a fire (some do it over a hob) and then pour it to a bucket of cold water. The resulting shape is used to predict what the year will be like. The whole thing is probably too difficult/dangerous but even the resulting lump of metal might be interesting? It's sometimes done with sugar too as the metal contains lead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdomancy

[Rohanna]

I know you said no perishables- but pomegranates are traditionally eaten in a lot of cultures for luck on NYE/NYD- they will last far more than a week in a basket, if you get the ones that aren't pre-husked. My Grandma always told us to eat 12 seeds - one per second, on the countdown to NYE if you wanted to have an especially lucky year. I don't know why 12, sorry.

As well, we *had* to have a new item of clothing to put on right after midnight- even if it was just socks, or else you wouldn't have any new clothes the rest of the year. So maybe fuzzy socks or mittens?

[lady_disdain]

This is probably not easy to put together but our New Year's tradition is to take tiny horse shoes made of some metal that melts, melt them over a fire (some do it over a hob) and then pour it to a bucket of cold water. The resulting shape is used to predict what the year will be like. The whole thing is probably too difficult/dangerous but even the resulting lump of metal might be interesting? It's sometimes done with sugar too as the metal contains lead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdomancy

I want to do this myself, this year! It is easy enough, since I already melt metal on a regular basis and I think it will be fun. No kids will be around, so few safety concerns.