At the end of the year, I learn about another New Year’s Eve superstition without fail. I’m always entranced by hearing about people’s different superstitions, whether they be cultural or personal, and am easily sucked into this kind of content. While it is debated whether superstitions are real or just another example of confirmation bias, I personally think they are simply fun and enjoyable to hear about and partake in! New Year’s Eve, in particular, comes with a plethora of silly little superstitions (that are sometimes not silly at all) that can add a little zest to your festivities! Here are a few I tried out this year. Consider my participation on your behalf — I’ll share my luck this time, but in 2026, you’re on your own!

1. Eating 12 grapes (under the table)

Coming from a Mexican family, I was always given a bowl of 12 grapes to eat at midnight on New Year’s Eve. As a kid, I was unaware of the significance of this tradition; all I knew was that my sisters and I would turn it into a competition of who could down their grapes the fastest without choking. Side note: I never won. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that each grape represents a month of the year and that the sweetness or bitterness of the grape signified how that month would go. An even more recent discovery was the idea that eating 12 grapes under the table at midnight helps you find a romantic partner. While I personally don’t care to find someone, my sister very much does! She ate all 12 grapes this year, so if she manages to find her soulmate, I promise an article updating you all on the details. 

2. Wearing specifically-colored underwear

I have to be honest, reader, this tradition has failed me year after year. The first time I actively participated in this superstition, I wore green in hopes of earning an abundance of money — instead, I spent an ungodly amount on two tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and have yet to financially recover. Last year, I wore blue, wishing for good health for myself since it was aligned with some of my resolutions; I proceeded to have an intense asthmatic cough due to a respiratory infection from February to June. I was later diagnosed with asthma, which was just great. This year, I decided to give it another try. Third time’s the charm, right? I opted for blue again; my hopes are high because I haven’t gotten sick since last year’s asthma fiasco. That being said, with graduation approaching, I will actually be so devastated if I fall ill, yet again. 

3. Smashing a pomegranate

When I was twelve years old, my obsession with Percy Jackson very quickly turned into an obsession with Greece itself. I spent one afternoon trying to Google as many fun facts about the country as I could find. At the top of the list: the annual tradition of smashing a pomegranate as hard as you can at your front door. As you can imagine, it’s very messy but thought to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. The bigger the mess, the better the year. Unfortunately, the parental units in my family forbade me from creating such a mess this year (I guess they just don’t want me to have good fortune? Fake … ), so I settled for cracking open a pomegranate the normal way to eat and enjoy. And since this was my first time ever opening my own pomegranate, it was, in fact, still very messy! With each seed I ate, I wished that 2025 would be the best year of my life yet — though 2024 will be hard to beat, considering I actually went to Greece!

4. Running down the street with a suitcase

I am saving the best superstition for last because this one actually works. Some of you might ask: how did I manage to go to Greece? The answer is simple: last New Year’s Eve, I saw an Instagram post that claimed if you ran down the street with your suitcase at midnight, you would travel that year. I was so determined to go to Greece that, at midnight, I grabbed my suitcase, walked down the driveway, and took off. I ran with such gusto that I actually tripped and fell on my way back up to my parents’ house. My family was laughing at how ridiculous I looked, but guess who went to Greece and who didn’t? That’s right: a month later I was accepted into the study abroad program of my dreams and, on July 7, I boarded the plane with the same suitcase I ran away with just months earlier. Talk about a full-circle moment. Obviously, I did this again this New Year’s Eve and will continue to do so every year from now. 

There you have it! A girl can only hope that all these superstitions help 2025 go her way, and that’s exactly what I’ll be keeping track of. I think the other benefit to participating in certain superstitions, as opposed to holding yourself to New Year’s resolutions, is that there’s a little less responsibility involved. While resolutions create the pressure to stick with them throughout the year, superstitions are merely a call out to the universe to say, “I’ve done what I can to signal to you what I want; it’s time for you to take the reins!” I’m not sure about you, but I definitely enjoy the guilt-free option much more. So, happy new year, and happy superstition-ing!