Most of our family’s traditions come from my family.  I think that’s because I’m the girl.  But our New Year’s Tradition comes from my husband.  It’s quite simple, and I’d like to share it with you.  And I will even add, Try This At Home, for good measure.

On the stroke of midnight,

Open the back door –

to force out all the BAD luck.

Open the front door —

to let in the GOOD luck.

The rest is optional, but we always:

•  Drink a toast to the New Year.

• Kiss anyone who happens to be nearby – especially Cooper the dog who might not be there to kiss next year.  (I wrote and posted this for New Years Eve 2011/12, and Cooper is still with us for 2012/13!)

• Hope for all the best for all we care about in the New Year.

This year I will of course add to family and flesh friends a wish the happiest, healthiest of new years to all my blogging buddies.

 Happy New Year – may your good luck always be stronger than your bad.

***

Yup, this is a re-tread.  I will probably post it next year, too.

Last year, when I posted this tradition, some of my bloggin’ buddies worried that they weren’t going to be home — that their doors would not be available at midnight.  That they were at a party, or at someone else’s house (“Hey,” some said, “we don’t want to give THEM all the good luck!”).

Relax!

If you are out when the ball drops, or traveling or your own personal doors are unavailable to you, you have my official permission to improvise.  You can do this at Midnight in your own home; in somebody else’s, in a hotel — wherever.  Or you can wait and carry out the tradition when you get home, after you have put down your suitcase and relaxed a minute.  There is no expiration date/time stamp on it.

Traditions are what you make of them, after all.

Happy New Year!