We all know that to receive the new year and to soak up the Christmas spirit even more, there is usually talk of a series of rituals to be carried out before the night of the 31st. To attract good luck and so that we do not lack any of the three things that ‘there are in life’: health, money and love.
We are going to explain step by step what you have to do to comply properly with the Christmas rites. To begin with, if you don’t have a nice Christmas tree placed in your living room… What are you waiting for? For many it is simply decorative, but for others it has religious significance: the fact that it is triangular symbolizes the Holy Trinity and the fact that it is an evergreen tree represents the Tree of Life, symbol of immortality for many. According to what they say, having these little trees at home provides protection from the spirits of nature. But the decorations that you include in the tree
are no less important : the lights symbolize the light of the world, you can include horseshoes that attract good luck, pineapples as a symbol of immortality, bells as a symbol of joy and little balls as a symbol of abundance.
Once you have decorated the Christmas tree, we recommend that you place holly or mistletoe at different points in your home, preferably on the door and window frames. It is very Christmassy, but it also has a meaning. It has everything, strange as it may seem. As they say, with the leaves of these plants you will be able to keep negative vibrations away from your house, they will bring you luck and fertility, but also, both are attributed not only magical, but also healing characteristics. And there is even more, if you meet someone under a sprig of mistletoe or holly, according to tradition, you will have to kiss that person.
And the night of December 31…
- You already have the environment prepared to receive the new year as it deserves, but things have not ended here. The same night of the 31st, you will have to follow another series of rituals. To begin with, candles cannot be missing in your house. In addition to giving a beautiful light, a very homely and warm atmosphere, candles acquire a very special meaning at Christmas. We can use them, like when we blow them on the birthday cake, to satisfy our wishes for the coming year… Each color contains its secret. White candles symbolize purification and cleanliness; with white candles we eliminate all the negative. And the silver and gold candles symbolize a step towards something better. And to help this transition towards something better, red candles cannot be missing.
Another of the rituals that you can follow during New Year’s Eve, if you are lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, is to light a large log. But you do not have to light it in any way, but through a fragment of the trunk from the previous year, which must have been conveniently kept to protect the home throughout the year. This tradition usually takes place on Christmas Eve, after midnight mass, but there are many who prefer to light this log on New Year’s Eve, to start the year off on the right foot. The objective is none other than to ensure the prosperity and protection of the family.
- If the log is consumed without going out at any time, it is a very good sign. Then, collect the ashes and keep them in a jar, as many say that they are a great fertility talisman. If you don’t have a fireplace in your house, don’t worry! You can substitute the log for a red candle. They recommend putting it in a deep container that also includes some sprigs of pine, fir or juniper.
Red underwear
- We already have everything ready to start the Christmas dinner, the candles prepared, the log or the big red candle lit… We have already sweated the shirt, now we have to shower and change clothes. Apart from hygiene, this showering for a while before 12 arrives also has its reason. With the bathroom you will renew energy, you will get rid of the bad energy that you have accumulated throughout the year. And after the shower… Something very important! Put on red underwear, but be careful, it has to be completely new clothes, otherwise the ritual will not work. They say that these garments should be left on until midnight the next day, but perhaps this is a bit excessive… And why the color red? Very easy, the color red is a symbol of life.
- We are clean, with red underwear, with the candles lit and with the log (or the big red ball) burning. Well then, before the chimes strike, another ritual remains to be done, what they have called ‘the protocol of the two lists’. What does it consist of? Sit comfortably at the table with your family, take all pencil and paper and make two lists: one of the lists will serve to eliminate the negative, in it you must write everything that you have not liked this year, your worries, your fears, your bad habits and ultimately, all those things that you consider negative. Once you have made the list… Indeed! Burn it with one of those candles that you have left lit for the occasion.
- The second that you have to do will help you’ affirm the positive’. In it you should write your goals for the coming year, but this time, don’t burn it! You must put this list in a clearly visible place so that you can remember it 365 days a year.
Chimes accompanied by grapes
And finally, we are ready to carry out the last New Year’s Eve ritual. The famous 12 grapes, seeded or seedless, peeled or unpeeled, large or small, there are all tastes. It is an exclusive tradition of our country, not very old, it goes back to the beginning of the century. They say that it all started on New Year’s Eve 1909. Apparently that year there was a surplus of grapes, and the growers, thanks to their great imagination, managed to succeed. In Italy, for example, the tradition, instead of eating the 12 grapes, is to take tablespoons of lentils, to attract money, they say. In Denmark they break the crockery, in Scotland they set fire to a barrel and make it roll through the streets engulfed in flames…
But whatever they do in other parts of the world, what can never be missing once we have entered the new year is a toast with cava or champagne. The important thing is that it has bubbles, a symbol of happiness.