13 Southern Superstitions to Bring in the New Year
In case y’all didn’t know, Southerners are big on superstitions! Here in Liberty County, we follow them very carefully. Most of our superstitious ways have been carefully passed down through generations and kept alive and well. They’ve been working for as long as we can remember, so why stop following them now?! With a new year about to begin, we can’t think of a better time to explore them. Start your new year by following these southern superstitions, and we think it’ll be one of your best years yet! Keep reading to find out 13 of our most precious and treasured ones.
1) Never Leave a Rocking Chair Rocking 🪑
It is said that if you rock an empty rocking chair, you’ll invite spirits. This is one of the first superstitions a resident will tell you when if you move here. Among the older generations rocking an empty chair is a no-no. After all, you don’t want any ghosts or evil spirits in your house!
2) Never Eat Both Ends of a Loaf of Bread 🍞
If you eat the ends before you eat the middle, it is said you won’t be able to make ends meet. We’re not sure where this superstition came from, but eating the ends first would definitely cause the bread to dry out quicker.
3) Hang a Mirror by the Door to Protect Against Evil 🪞
A folk belief is that the Devil is so vain he’ll get distracted by his reflection until the sun rises and forget to enter. This may also work for some people!
4) Black-Eyed Peas will Bring Good Luck 🍀
This southern superstition says that if you eat black-eyed peas just after midnight or on New Year’s Day, you’ll be prosperous in the coming year. Some Southerners will even tell you to eat one pea for every day of the new year. Bring a good appetite for dinner this year!
5) Haint Blue 🔵
People used to believe that spirits could not cross over water, so they would paint porch ceilings and doors a special shade of blue called Haint Blue to ward off evil spirits.
6) Bottle Trees 🌳
Strolling the streets in a small town may render a lot of unfamiliar sights like the bottle tree! Deeply superstitious people believed that evil spirits could be caught in glass bottles placed outside. When the spirit was caught, one could cork the bottle and throw it into the river to wash it away.
7) Open the Window When Someone Dies in a Home 🪟
If you live in the South for a while, you will see some strange things. When someone dies in a home, people often open the windows and cover all of the mirrors. It is believed that this allows the soul to leave and not be captured.
8) A Bird in the House 🐦
You will see slight panic on some faces when there is a bird in a house since people believe that a bird in the house foretells death.
9) Itchy Nose 👃
If your nose itches, this is a sign that company is coming. People still tell us that we will have company soon when we scratch our noses! We remember our grandmothers saying something similar growing up, and it stuck with us.
10) Bed Head 🛌
People believed that waking up with crazy hair is the creepy sign of witches sneaking into your room and playing tricks on you while you sleep.
11) Palm Itching 🤲
It is believed that when your palm is itching you will either give or receive money depending on which hand it is.
12) Don’t Take Pictures 📸
Every now and then we encounter people who do not want their picture taken. As funny as it may sound in our technological world, there are still people out there who believe that every time someone takes your picture, they capture a piece of your soul.
13) Don’t Put Your Pocketbook on the Floor 👜
According to lots of Southern ladies your bag should never hang lower than your moneymaker or you will be in financial distress. Long story short – don’t put your bag on the floor or you will be broke!
Interested in finding out more Southern traditions for the new year? Check out this lucky recipe from a Liberty County native! It is another one of the many southern superstitions that is still alive and being honored in Liberty County. Get out and #ExploreLiberty in the New Year, and you may see some!
