New Years traditions plentiful on the Eastern Shore

By Linda Cicoira

New Year’s customs and traditions are plentiful on the Eastern Shore. They can include everything from opening the front and back doors to your house at midnight to allow the breeze to blow out the old and bring in the new to eating black-eyed peas for good luck.

All around the world, people will kick off 2025 by running into freezing cold lakes and oceans. The tradition was started in Canada in 1920 by a group of swimmers who called themselves the Polar Bear Club.

On Assateague Beach, New Year’s Day means taking the Polar Pony Plunge at 1:25 p.m. They say nothing compares to the invigorating feeling of jumping into the icy cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Participants are encouraged to dress up in zany costumes. There will be no entry fees, but participants will be asked to sign a plunge waiver and release form.

In Cape Charles, the event is called “The 5th Annual First Day in the Bay” and is, of course, at the Cape Charles Town Beach where “The Bay Polar Plunge” starts at 10:30 a.m. Jan.1, 2025. The entire event lasts until 1 p.m.

Waterfronts are important for the new year all over the world. Many Romanians believe that tossing a coin in the river on New Year’s Eve will provide good luck for the next 12 months.

So why not try the customs from other places? In Brazil, people consider it good luck to start the new year by jumping over seven waves. They get a wish for each wave. They also wear white on New Year’s Eve as it is believed that the color will attract peace for the coming year.

In Japan, people watch the first sunrise of the new year to bring good fortune. Many people there rise early to find a picturesque spot, such as a beach or hill, to enjoy the view.

Also In Japan, it’s traditional to thoroughly clean the house before midnight on Dec. 31. A clean home helps purify the space and prepare it for a fresh start.

In Russia, a tradition involves drinking one’s New Year’s wish. According to thepioneerwoman.com, participants write their wish on paper, burn it, put the ashes into a glass of champagne, and drink it.

That article also stated that in Turkey, people smash a pomegranate outside their front door to bring good luck in the new year. “The ruby red fruit is seen as a symbol of abundance, health, and prosperity.”

In the Philippines, residents wear polka dots on their dresses, shirts, or pants on New Year’s Eve to bring good fortune. Round items are all the rage on New Year’s Eve there. Because the circular shape symbolizes money and wealth, people carry coins and eat round foods like donuts, bagels, and cookies to boost their funds for the next 12 months.

While some people believe in taking down Christmas decor before the new year, don’t toss the mistletoe just yet. The Irish believe that if one puts a sprig of mistletoe, holly, or ivy under your pillow on New Year’s Eve, the person will dream of future love.

Families in Ireland also have a New Year’s tradition of banging loaves of Christmas bread against the walls and doors to ward off evil spirits and pave the way for a healthy and prosperous new year.

Colombians walk around the block carrying empty suitcases on New Year’s Eve to bring a year filled with travel.

In Scotland, a tradition known as “first footing” is supposed to determine whether your household has good luck or misfortune for the rest of the year. For prosperity in 2025, superstition says the first person to enter your home at midnight or thereafter should be a tall, dark-haired male. He should also bring symbolic gifts like coins or black buns.

Before there were manufactured noisemakers, people would go just outside their door and bang on pots and pans at the stroke of midnight. This was thought to drive away evil spirits. Another tradition was to throw a bucket of water out the window to signify cleansing and renewal.

In Greece, hanging an onion on your door on the eve of the new year symbolizes rebirth. On Jan. 1, parents tap the onion on the foreheads of their children to usher in prosperity for the 365 days ahead.

There are also superstitions about the color of underwear worn on New Year’s Eve. Red may mean romance or luck, while blue is believed to foster good health.

Eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve is customary in Spain. With each chime at midnight, one has to pop another grape in their mouth, which is not so easy. Each grape symbolizes a month. Successfully eating all 12 will mean a lucky year ahead.

A Danish tradition on New Year’s Eve is to stand on a chair just before midnight and leap into the new year for good luck. It’s also a tradition there to throw old or already broken plates and glasses against the doors of your loved ones for good luck. If you open your door on New Year’s Day to a heap of broken pieces, it’s a sign of being loved and cared for by many people.

Happy New Year everyone.