Christmas Superstitions

Numerous superstitions are linked to the Christmas period New Birth A child born on Christmas Eve will have a promising future, will enjoy luck and happiness throughout his life. - The menhirs of Carnac (France) make three turns on themselves before going for a swim in the ocean. - Pagan beliefs tell us that Christmas Eve is the night of all dangers as well as that of all fortunes. - Ghosts fear Christmas Eve and prefer to disappear, which is why in some countries the doors are left open at midnight to get them out of the house. - In fact, strange things happen that night, at midnight the animals speak the language of men and in the orchard the trees are covered with flowers that disappear at the sound of the twelfth stroke of midnight. Wood burned on Christmas Eve has a special meaning: Its fire is a tribute to the sun. - The fire does not have to go out by itself, someone is left at home to take care of the fire even during midnight mass. Fire must not be governed with iron tools but with hands. If the fire sparkles a lot, it is a good omen and the next summer's harvest will be abundant. The ashes must be stored with care because they protect from storms, and fertilize the soil. - In England, the choice of the log respects certain very precise rules. - The log is not to be bought, it must be found on one's own land, or given away by neighbors. After having decorated it, it is placed in the fireplace and lit with the remains of the wood from the previous Christmas that the owner had kept to protect the house from lightning and fires. - The wood must burn for twelve hours. Sometimes the fire is kept burning for the twelve days of Christmas. In any case, after Christmas it has to turn itself off. The old calendar -On the evening of the 31st, remove all the old calendars you have at home. Burn them all on New Year's morning, after wrapping them in red wool, saying: " Old year burns here and bad luck goes away". House - Cleansing To cleanse your home of the negativities of the year that is ending, get a branch or piece of fir wood, 12 cloves, 12 juniper berries, a white and a black candle. - Before midnight on December 31, spread a cloth on the ground near your front door, then light the black candle, the white one and the fir wood with the cloves and juniper berries (which you have already prepared in small pieces. in a censer with relative ignition charcoal). Let it consume until the end. And finally It Is Said .... - That some people believe that you may have bad luck in the New Year if you take your Christmas tree down AFTER midnight on December 31st. If you are superstitious, you may want to take the tree down before midnight on New Year's Eve to avoid any bad luck in the next year. Find more superstitions from Snopes Thanks For Visiting