Happy New Year 2013

I once read of a New Year's Day tradition 

that involved lighting six black candles and six white ones

to symbolize the negative and positive aspects of the coming year.

I think it would be more optimistic 

to light nine white candles and three black candles.

Here in Virginia's Tidewater region, many people fix a big pot full of

black-eyed peas and ham on New Year's Day for good luck.

That's not a tradition I've ever taken part in, 

but I know some Virginians never miss starting their new year that way.

photo courtesy of morguefile.com

To ensure good luck in 2013, 

try some of these luck-bringing ideas from

 the Denham Tracts, folklore collected by Michael Denham

 in England in  the early to mid-19th century:

Never allow a visitor to remove a lantern light from one's home on New Year's.

It is bad luck if a woman is the first visitor on the first day of the year.

Never throw anything away on New Year's:

not ashes, not sweepings, nor dirty water.

For this reason, doing laundry on New Year's is bad luck.

Other ways from the Denham Tracts to bring luck:

find a horseshoe and hang it over the front door 

with the heel pointing up. This will keep witches away.

Another is to wear a "lucky" bone around one's neck as an amulet

to protect oneself from the mischief of elves, fairies, and witches.

This bone must be t-shaped and come from the head of a sheep.

The t-shape was valued by early Christians as a symbol of the cross

and by ancient Druids as a mark of importance.

If one lacks the amulet, burn juniper before cattle 

as Scottish Highlanders once did.

If all the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's celebrations

haven't satiated one's need for good times,

try celebrating "Handsel Monday,"

the first Monday of the New Year

once celebrated in northern England and Scotland.

The handsel is a token or omen for good luck,

also a small gift given on the date

 for granting a wish for good luck to others.

It's January 7th in 2013.

Happy New Year!

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