New Year's Superstitions

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/newyears/beliefs.asp

Besides getting sloppy drunk and kissing everybody in the room at the stroke of midnight, celebrants throughout the ages have observed numerous lesser-known New Year's customs and superstitions. Many of the superstitions associated with the event bear the common theme that activities engaged in on that day set the pattern for the year to come. Others have to do with warding off evil spirits or attracting luck.

I'd never heard of this one - now that our travel plans have been canceled I may need to rent one! rofllol Wish I'd known about this tradition back when I was single!

First Footing: The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year you're about to have. New for old Ideally, he should be dark-haired, tall, and good-looking, and it would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts such as a lump of coal, a silver coin, a bit of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt . Blonde and redhead first footers bring bad luck, and female first footers should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household. Aim a gun at them if you have to, but don't let them near your door before a man crosses the threshold.

I can't for the life of me figure out why this is so - were women really so much worse than men back in the old days? Anyone else know or want to hazard a guess? I'm sooo curious!

The first footer (sometimes called the "Lucky Bird") should knock and be let in rather than unceremoniously use a key, even if he is one of the householders. After greeting those in the house and dropping off whatever small tokens of luck he has brought with him, he should make his way through the house and leave by a different door than the one through which he entered. No one should leave the premises before the first footer arrives — the first traffic across the threshold must be headed in rather than striking out.

First footers must not be cross-eyed or have flat feet or eyebrows that meet in the middle.

rofllol Again, why?

We usually had sauerkraut, but no other food restrictions or requirements, and made lots of noise (to the detriment of my mothers cookware - the bottoms of some were never the same!), my mom insisted on herring and pickled pigs feet too, but she got those all to herself.

What traditions did you have that aren't on the list?