New Year`s Rituals

New Year's rituals are quite popular around the world. Jumping over 7 waves, eating lentils, wearing new clothes in colors related to wishes for the coming year… these are some of the most well-known examples.

But have you ever wondered about the origin of New Year's rituals? How did they come about? Or do the rituals really work?

In this text, you will better understand what rituals are and their relationship with people's faith. Moreover, you will find 8 powerful options to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. Enjoy your reading!

What are rituals?

Rituals are a series of actions or behaviors performed in a specific and repetitive manner, often with a sacred or significant purpose. They are carried out by many people around the world as a way to express their faith and beliefs.

They can take many forms, from simple daily prayers to more elaborate celebrations involving dances, chants, offerings, and other practices.

In many cultures, rituals are used to connect with a deity or higher power. For example, in some religions, prayers and offerings are made to ask for blessings or divine guidance. In others, to honor ancestors or to mark important life transitions such as births, marriages, and deaths.

Rituals can also be used to create a sense of community and belonging. When people participate in a group ritual, they unite in a common purpose and share a meaningful experience. This can help strengthen the bonds between community members and provide a sense of security and comfort in difficult times.

What is the origin of New Year's rituals?

The New Year is one of the times when rituals gain more visibility. You've probably seen many people jumping 7 waves at the beach, choosing the color of their clothes for the turn of the year, or even preparing energy cleansing baths, right?

But what is the origin of all this?

Well, New Year's rituals have existed for more than 4,000 years. But unlike what happens currently, they were not performed on January 1st — the date we celebrate the civil New Year.

The festival, held by the Mesopotamian people, generally took place around March 20th — the period when we celebrate the Astrological New Year. The celebration was a way to mark the end of winter and the arrival of spring, bringing promises of improvements in planting and harvesting. Therefore, the rituals related to the date mainly aimed to ask for food and abundance.

Over time, these celebrations became popular, deriving and even undergoing some changes. The tradition of jumping 7 waves, for example, originates from African-based religions, which worship Yemoja. This ritual used to be done on February 2nd, the date when the Orisha is celebrated. For this group, the number 7 is considered cabalistic and is related to Eshu and the 7 lines of the religion. Thus, they make offerings to the Queen of the Sea and jump waves, making requests. Over time, the ritual became incorporated among the New Year's Eve practices.

The consumption of lentils is related to the traditions of ancient peoples. For them, grains, in general, represent the nutrition of the earth. Some Gypsy people also associate lentils with material goods, due to their coin-like shape. Thus, it is believed that eating lentils attracts luck and prosperity.

In general, rituals are always closely associated with the people’s beliefs and undergo changes throughout their existence.

New Year's Rituals

At this point in the content, we will specifically talk about the practice of rituals in the New Year. First, it is necessary to clarify the difference between the civil New Year and the Astrological New Year.

While the civil New Year is celebrated on January 1st, on the Gregorian calendar, the Astrological New Year is related to the Spring Equinox — the same one celebrated by the Mesopotamian, remember?

The Astrological New Year always occurs around March 20th, when the Sun enters Aries, beginning a new journey through the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

So, when should we make our preparations?

In the civil new year, we can take advantage of the change's egrégora celebrated worldwide and allow ourselves to be contaminated by the energy of the moment: endings, dreams, and resolutions for the new year will be everywhere.

From January to March, we go through a transition period where, free from the baggage of the previous year, we can refine our desires, plant our seeds, and get our plans ready. Thus, in the Astrological New Year, there is no more talking! It's time to put into practice everything we've been preparing for the past three months.

Therefore, upon the arrival of the Astrological New Year, it's time to reflect on what we need to renew, taking advantage of Aries' proactivity to act. We can take care of the mind and body while pursuing our goals for the next period. This is a favorable moment for the pursuit of self-knowledge.

It's worth detaching, thinking of new ways of acting, visualizing everything we want to be born or flourish in our lives: relationships, work, health, or any other desire.

Every year, during this period, we recommend that you invite those you like to exchange ideas and get to know each other more. How was the past cycle? What new goals will we set? It's also a good time to make peace or to end once and for all those ties that don't add anything.

In this spirit, we've prepared an infographic with some New Year's rituals that can help you with this passage. These rituals can be performed on one of the dates or on both. Follow your intuition to choose when and which ones, and if necessary, adapt to what makes the most sense to you. Check it out!

The rituals suggested in the infographic above are about preparing for the new cycle that is about to begin. They help us promote a moment of reflection and relaxation, allowing us to evaluate the path taken so far. They give us the important chance to practice gratitude and stimulate awareness of the need to plan the next steps according to our goals and desires.

But you can still include in this passage rituals aimed at energy cleansing and wish fulfillment. See below for some options.

Cleansing and Energy Baths

Herbal baths are used in the vast majority of religions and beliefs that work with nature. Whether to purify energies or bring love, money, and happiness, we can all benefit from the energies of plants.

Salt is effective for chakra cleansing, but leaves our energy field open, so don't forget to do the second part. For children and pregnant women, skip the cleansing bath and use only the herbs.

Energy Cleansing

Materials:

• 5 cups of warm water;
• 1 cup of salt (normal or coarse), or enough to make the water as salty as seawater.

Mix the salt in the water with your hands and set aside. Take your normal hygiene bath, then pour the saltwater over your body, only from the neck down. Imagine or visualize everything that is heavy, all the tension that has accumulated in your body during the year running down with the water.

Herb Bath

Materials:

• 5 cups of warm water;
• 1 cup of herbs of your choice, according to your intention;
• paper or cloth strainer.

Heat the water and turn off the heat as soon as it starts to bubble. Fill the strainer with herbs (if using a paper strainer, close it with a kitchen clip) and place it in the water to make an infusion. Let the infusion rest covered for 5 minutes, then discard the herbs in nature.

After the cleansing bath, pour the infusion over your body, from the neck down. Imagine or visualize colored lights filling your body, according to your intention (colors corresponding to requests, for example, green for good luck). Enjoy for a few minutes the sensation and smell of the herbs before drying off. Use dry or fresh herbs.

See below for some ingredients that can be used according to each intention.

Prosperity: cinnamon stick or bark, rosemary;
Happiness: bay leaf, rosemary, basil, calendula;
Love: cinnamon, hibiscus, jasmine;
Health: mint, apple peel, lavender, chamomile;
Wealth: clove, bay leaf, benzoin;
Spiritual protection: lavender, rue, lavender.

Burning Requests

A great way to deliver your intentions to the universe is by combining the energy of fire (desire) and air (communication). Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this ritual, as when done with dedication it is extremely powerful.

Materials:

• Paper and pen;
• A white candle;
• A fire-resistant container.

Sit in a quiet place without interference, try to relax and take a few deep breaths to disconnect from the day. Light the candle.

Write in affirmations everything you would like to take or conquer in the new year. Be specific and coherent at the same time. For example, if you are tired and wish to change jobs, you can write: “I will find a job that gives me material comfort and stimulates my mind.” Avoid using negative words, as they can interfere with the visualization moment.

After writing all your wishes, separate them into paper strips. Take the first one, read it aloud, pass it through the candle and let it burn in the container. While the little paper burns, close your eyes and imagine how you will feel when your wish comes true.

If you have already experienced a similar situation, remember how you felt good at that moment. The important thing is to associate the desire with positivity, instead of thinking about the scarcity of not having realized it yet, as we attract exactly what we think about.

Read, burn, and feel the desires, one at a time. When finished, thank the universe for the opportunities you will have to fulfill them. Turn the candle off.

Light and Shadow Meditation

In addition to relaxing, meditation serves to connect us with our higher self, with spiritual guides, and also with our deepest desires. Sit comfortably on a cushion, in a quiet place without interruptions. Using the Astrolink tarot tool or a physical tarot deck, if you have one at home, choose one of the following questions:

— What do I need to leave behind from the past year to have a better new year?
— What is the major lesson that I should take from the past year?
— Which of my qualities will be most important for achieving my dreams in the upcoming year?
— What advice does the universe have for me to flow in the coming year?

Take a deep breath, focus on your chosen question, and draw a card. First, examine the image in detail and think about all the sensations it causes you: joy, peace, fear, sadness? Using this feeling as a base, read the interpretation and see how it can fit into your experience.

Close your eyes. Silently or aloud, start a conversation with the card or with the characters that appear on it. Ask who they are, why they are there, what message they are trying to convey to you.

Working with the shadow:

If the card's energy is negative, it's likely that you have a shadow aspect to work on. The image of the card may awaken unpleasant feelings: agony, apprehension, animosity. The idea is to make peace with this energy, so talk to the card until you discover how to accept this feeling and, from there, what to do to leave it behind.

Working with the light:

If the card's energy is positive, try intensely to feel all the sensations it provokes, think about times you have felt this way before, and allow yourself to dream of more. Ask what to do to make the most of this energy throughout the year.

There is no minimum or maximum time for this conversation; finish when you feel that the issue is resolved. If you wish to work on both aspects, repeat the same procedure twice, each time asking the tarot to show the shadow or light that needs to be worked on.

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