Whether you celebrate New Year or not, did you know that there are some things everyone should do before the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve? Some of these suggestions are simply good ideas, but some portend dire consequences if disregarded. If you don’t celebrate New Year, you can do lots of useful things and ring in the new year with clear mind and house.
1. Donate unused items
Comb through your closets. This is the last day to qualify for charitable tax deductions. On April 15th, you’ll be glad you went to the trouble to clean house on New Year’s Eve. If you don’t find anything to donate, consider writing a check to your favorite charity.
2. Take out the trash
One superstition holds that if you take anything out of the house on New Year’s Day, you will lose things throughout the coming year. Therefore, take out the trash before midnight. If you create a lot of trash during a New Year’s Eve party, let it sit until January 2.
3. Write down a short-term goal
New Year’s resolutions are notoriously impossible to keep. Therefore, write down a short-term goal that you can celebrate. Effective goals are S.M.A.R.T. goals. These goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and trackable. For example, you may commit to going to the doctor within the month, writing 2,000 words in your novel, or eating at least 10 servings of fruits and vegetables this week.
More: 10 Most Popular New Year’s Resolutions for 2015
4. Fill the pantry
One New Year’s Day superstition says that if your cupboards are empty on the first day of the year, they will stay empty throughout the year. If you wish to continue enjoying relative prosperity, fill your pantry or cupboards on New Year’s Eve.
5. Update your resume
No one can predict the future. Even if you filled the pantry on New Year’s Eve, you could still find yourself looking for work in the coming year. Sometimes, our work accomplishments fade into the background of our memory, making resume writing difficult just when we are desperate to have an updated version. To avert this panic, make a new resume every New Year’s Eve.
6. Make some noise
Open the doors just before midnight to encourage the evil spirits that plagued you throughout the year to leave. At midnight, make a lot of noise to keep new evil spirits away. If fireworks are illegal where you live, then pick up some noise makers.
7. Celebrate
Some people celebrate New Year’s Eve because a difficult year is over, and some celebrate because a clean slate, a year full of possibilities, is only hours away. Whether your celebration is cathartic or anticipatory, allowing yourself to experience the emotion of a new year is a psychologically positive experience.
More: 10 Fun Ways to Celebrate New Year Alone
8. Kiss someone
The reason that New Year’s Eve is associated with kissing is, of course, due to a superstition. When you kiss someone at midnight, especially if that someone is a loved one, the kissing ensures a year full of affection and positive relationships. If you find yourself alone on New Year’s Eve, go ahead and kiss your dog or cat.
9. Make a budget
Every year brings with it a different set of priorities. Perhaps a wedding is around the corner. Maybe this is the year you plan to take that vacation of a lifetime. You may even already know that your company will be downsizing in the coming year. Why not make a plan to meet the year’s ups and downs with grace and preparedness?
10. Attend to the Christmas tree
Some superstitions hold that you must take down the Christmas tree before midnight to avoid bringing the past year into the new year along with plenty of bad luck. On the other hand, some traditions say that you must leave the tree up until the 12th day after Christmas (January 5) to avoid bad luck. If the first superstition sounds plausible to you, take down the tree.
More: 10 Soulful Ways to Stay Happy during the Winter Season
Whether superstitious or practical, everyone usually takes some specific actions on New Year’s Eve. These are just a few that may make your new year better than ever before. Believe in a successful and happy new year, and you will definitely have one of the most successful year ever! What things do you usually do on New Year’s Eve?
