New Year’s traditions and superstitions: What to eat, do

On January 1, 2025By Littum

What do panties, grapes and empty suitcases have in common? Well, they may be able to help you achieve your goals and dreams in the new year.

Everyone wants to bring some luck into the new year. Whether it’s to fulfill all those New Year’s resolutions or just have a prosperous 2025, every culture has its New Year’s traditions, but some may stand out more than others. Here’s a list of things to eat, do and avoid to ensure your 2025 is as lucky and good as possible.

We all want to start 2025 on the right foot. Whether someone wants to travel more or find the love of their life, there are New Year superstitions that people believe can help manifest exactly what you want to achieve in the new year.

There are also plenty of foods you can eat to bring good luck, too!

Whether they sound silly or not is entirely up to the person practicing it. But here are a few of the ways people ensure their new year is filled with luck, love and adventure.

Eat 12 grapes under a table

When the clock strikes 12, make sure you’re under the dinner table shoveling grapes into your mouth while balancing a glass of champagne (or sparkling grape juice) and trying not to choke so you can bring good luck and ensure that your decisions will be fulfilled.

The table is unnecessary for some, but according to ParadeSome believe that adding a table to the equation can help a person find the love of their life.

Eating 12 grapes at midnight to ring in the new year is a Spanish tradition that is several hundred years old, according to Vogue. It is also practiced in the Caribbean, South America and other Latin American and Latin countries.

Each grape represents 12 resolutions or wishes for the new year. Whether it’s to lose weight, find love or find a new job, eating the grapes at midnight will help people achieve it.

Walk around the block with an empty suitcase

Feeling wanderlust? Well, take an empty suitcase and walk around the block with it.

The Latin American tradition is supposed to draw in adventure and travel to new places in the coming year, reported CBS News Miami.

However, some people believe that the suitcase should be packed with the things that represent the vacation you want, like sunscreen and pool floaties if your dream vacation is to Miami or Puerto Rico, before you go on that trip, according to Amigos International.

Avoid laundry and cleaning

People avoid washing or cleaning on January 1st, as according to Chinese superstition it can clean away any fortune for the coming year.

Another disturbing belief is that laundry and cleaning will “wash away a loved one,” meaning that a loved one may die in the new year, reported CBS News.

According to superstition, you will sweep away luck along with dirt and dust mites, so avoid cleaning until January 2nd.

People might think it’s a little silly to avoid cleaning and putting away Christmas lights, but it doesn’t hurt to take time off, it’s a holiday after all and invites potential luck to enter the new year.

Eat black-eyed peas and lentils

Add even more round food to your day with these little guys!

Round foods look like coins and money, Linda Pelaccio, who hosted culinary radio show “A Taste of the Past,” previously told USA TODAY.

Eat these symbolic foods for a financially prosperous New Year. On the contrary: don’t eat the round foods and you may have a year of bad luck!

If you eat peas with greens and cornbread, then it is even more auspicious, what with green being the color of money and cornbread reminiscent of gold.

Black-eyed peas are served with rice in the traditional South American dish called “Hoppin’ John” for New Year’s Eve. Or the peas can be part of a soup. In Italy, lentils are mixed with pork for a lucky dish.

More food equals more luck, but avoid lobsters

Noodles, pork, whole fish and pomegranate seeds can also bring you luck in the new year.

Grapes and lentils aren’t the only things you can eat to bring good luck to 2025.

Pigs have always been considered lucky, so a meal of pork can bring prosperity.

“Pigs take their snouts and root forward, as opposed to digging backwards,” Linda Pelaccio, who hosted culinary radio show “A Taste of the Past,” previously told USA TODAY.

While eating pork is great because they are always moving forward, try to avoid eating lobster.

But mixing pork, pomegranate, fish and black-eyed peas on a plate doesn’t sound too appealing, so it’s probably best that you make room for your good-luck treats throughout New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve.

“It’s not good to eat lobsters because they go backwards,” Pelaccio said.

Use the color of your underwear to manifest love

The color of the underpants you wear for New Year’s can give you your heart’s desires in the New Year, according to Sustainable Baddie,

Looking to get that raise or a better paying job? Well, you might want to wear yellow panties. Red panties are said to bring passion and love, while pink brings platonic love. Blue gives good health, and green underwear is freedom, life and nature.

So maybe a quick trip to Victoria’s Secret or Target could be the key to unlocking your New Year’s resolutions.

According to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, part of the USA TODAY Network, wearing different colored underwear for your New Year’s wishes is common in many different countries, including Spain, Latin America and Italy, where the tradition is said to have originated.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

There’s nothing to lose if you want to try some of these superstitious snacks and traditions.

With 2025 less than 24 hours away, it doesn’t hurt to give yourself and the universe some help when it comes to manifesting your goals next year.

Whatever your resolutions are, these superstitious tips and tricks can hopefully put a smile on your face, even if not all of your resolutions come true this year. In addition, there is always 2026 to look forward to!

Happy New Year!

Starring: Carly Mallenbaum; Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News

Julia is a popular reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her at LinkedInfollow her further X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [email protected]