Holiday Superstitions
By Kriti Grover, Grade 6
You might celebrate a holiday in December like Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or others in your own unique way. You might eat a certain type of food, meet up with family, or go on a vacation, but did you know that in many places in the world, the holiday season is a time for superstitions?
It's true! In fact, people in Britain believe that eating an apple at midnight on Christmas Eve keeps the doctor away for a whole year! In Latin America, it's commonly believed that if you carry around an empty suitcase on New Year's Day and set it outside your front door, your year will be filled with adventure. In Spain, some people believe that eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's brings a year of good luck. You may be familiar with the superstition of black cats bringing bad luck, but are you familiar with the Icelandic superstition that if you do not wear your new clothes on Christmas, a giant cat called the Yule Cat will come and eat you alive at night? That's not all, though. In Denmark, people save up broken dishes from the past year-or break some dishes-and throw it at their friend's and family's houses, because it is believed that it will bring a year of good luck. Sounds fun! Warning: Do not try this without permission from your neighbors...or just don't try it at all. Similar to Denmark, in South Africa, people throw old furniture out the window symbolizing the saying 'out with the old, in with the new'. Unfortunately, people have gotten hurt by following this superstition, so please don't try it! A popular tradition during the Chinese New Year in China is cleaning your home. This may not seem like a superstition, but it actually is. When they clean their house, they have to sweep all the dust inside the house, and then sweep it out the back door-not the front one. This is believed to take out all the bad luck from the year to come. In Romania, between Christmas and New Year's, people dress up in costumes made of real bearskin and dance up and down the streets to prevent bad luck. In the southern part of the United States of America, there is a superstition that eating a plate of black eyed peas brings you good luck. This superstition dates back to just after the Civil War. The Union soldiers stole all of the Confederate soldiers' supplies except for black eyed peas, which is why black eyed peas are considered lucky. In Estonia, they believe in eating 7-12 meals on New Year's Day to give them the strength of 7-12 people. In Brazil, some people believe that tossing flowers and gifts into the ocean from Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on New Year's Eve will give them blessings from an ocean spirit called Yamanja.
In conclusion, holiday superstitions are all around as we prepare for a time of festivity. So as we kick back to enjoy the cheerful time, make sure you keep an eye out for the awesome myths that contemplate the wonderful breaks yet to come. Questions about any other superstitions that might be fun to celebrate or want to learn more about any superstition written about here? Email me at 29groverk@student.wcasd.net
Bibliography:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/89877/15-new-years-superstitions-around-world