As 2025 approaches, one of the most exciting and universally enjoyed aspects of New Year’s Eve is on peoples’ minds: superstitions. Ranging from eating black eyed peas to wearing polka dots, the new year is a time for fun family traditions that serve to bring prosperity into the upcoming year. So, what are some of the most common New Year’s Eve superstitions of Lake Travis High School students and their families?
Popularized in recent years by social media sites such as Tik Tok, eating grapes under a table is a unique New Year’s Eve superstition that is said to bring good luck in the upcoming year. “My family passes grapes on New Year’s Eve. For us it symbolizes good fortune for the year ahead,” said Lake Travis junior Marely Canales. “[It] helps us reflect on the past year as well as what we hope is to come.” Although Marely’s family passes grapes across a table the traditional way, eating them under the table is a fun twist on the classic superstition.
Another well-known New Year’s superstition is making loud noises at midnight, which originated in ancient China and was said to ward off evil spirits to welcome a new chapter. “I make noise since I usually have a get-together, and I clean my house since it’s a new year, so it’s like new beginnings,” said Vandit Rhiki, a junior. “My parents taught me and it’s a family thing.” This superstition’s popularity makes it one of the most entertaining, as some choose to bang pots and pans while others shout out their windows each new year.
There are also many Lake Travis families that ring in the New Year with cultural traditions and superstitions, including having valuables in hand when the clock strikes twelve. “We hold cash in our hand, since it signifies you’re going to be rich in the next year,” said Stephanie Verenzuela, a junior who celebrates the New Year with her loved ones. This specific tradition is widespread among Venezuelan families and serves to bring prosperity into the new year.
Families in the Lake Travis community celebrate the New Year in many different ways, but the heart of their superstitions and traditions remain the same: bringing good luck into the new year and reflecting on the previous one. Make sure to find a fun and safe superstition to do with family and friends this December 31st to bring good fortune into 2025. Happy New Year, Cavs!
