12 Unique New Year Rituals Believed to Bring Success and Luck

JAKARTA - New Year is always synonymous with new hope, positive energy, and the opportunity to start a clean life. Many people believe that certain habits or rituals on the first night and day of the new year can affect their fate, luck, and well-being for the next 12 months.

From simple traditions such as eating certain foods, to unique habits that sound a bit strange, they all have symbolic meanings that are believed to attract good things. If you want to try new ways to welcome 2026, here are some unique rituals that are believed to bring good luck, as reported by the Cosmopolitan website.

1. Put Your Right Foot First In many cultures, starting the year with your right foot is believed to bring a good start.

2. Peep from the Window of the Room For bachelors, it is said that if you see a man passing by the window of the room on New Year's morning, there is a possibility of getting engaged before the end of the year.

3. Jumping over 7 Waves In Brazil, people usually wear all white clothes and jump over seven waves on the beach after midnight while making one request for each jump.

4. Break Plates at Neighbor's House This Danish tradition to show popularity is that the more plates that break, the more luck.

5. Destroy the Pomegranate The Greek tradition calls the pomegranate a symbol of abundance, fertility, luck, and prosperity. Throwing it in front of the door is believed to bring good luck.

6. Choose a Special First Guest In Scotland, the first person to enter the house on New Year's Day is called the 'First Footer' and must bring positive energy, ideally by giving gifts.

7. Sprinkle Sugar Outside the House In Puerto Rico, sprinkling sugar in the yard is believed to bring good luck.

8. Burn Straw Dolls In Ecuador, some people burn dolls or symbols of bad luck to remove the negative energy of the previous year.

9. Turn 7 Times Around the House It may sound tiring, but it is believed to bring good luck. It can also be done by running in the room.

10. Wear Polkadot Clothes In the Philippines, polkadot that resembles a coin is believed to bring wealth and success.

11. Don't Cry Crying on the first day of the new year is considered to determine bad luck for the next 12 months.

12. Get up earlier According to Polish tradition, getting up early on New Year's Day makes it easier for a person to get up in the morning throughout the year.