2026 is the Chinese Year of the Fire Horse, beginning on February 17, 2026, and ending on February 5, 2027, marking a period known for dynamic energy, passion, and bold action, with those born in this year embodying traits like enthusiasm, independence, and strong leadership.
Didn’t stay up until midnight. A solid night’s sleep is the key to good health. I am superstitious that way.
New Year’s is accompanied by some very precise superstitions oriented around bringing good luck. The state in which one finds oneself at the turn of midnight is thought to be predictive of the tenor of one’s year. Kissing someone at midnight, for example, is not just about celebrating with bae, it is intended to preserve that relationship for the next twelve months.
More practically, one can ensure prosperity and financial success in the coming year by stocking up one’s cupboards, refrigerator, and larder; filling one’s wallet with cash; paying off outstanding bills and debts (think credit cards rather than the mortgage); doing a small amount of symbolic work on New Year’s Day; and eating black eyed peas. In Ireland starting the year with a spotless house augured well for the coming year.
Most of these superstitions are focused on the idea of the house and household, which is why the first person to step foot into your residence after midnight influences the shape of the year to come.
Ideally, the “first footer” or “lucky bird” should bring small gifts (tradition prescribes a lump of coal, silver coin, bread, something green, and a small amount of salt). The first footer is, in paramount conditions, a tall attractive man with dark hair. Redheads and blondes, cross-eyed people, flat-footed individuals and those who have eyebrows that meet in the middle bring bad luck.
There is some diversity of opinion from country to country about whether or not one wanted a married first footer or a single one, but there seems to have been a near universal consensus that female first footers should be shooed away, with the use of firearms if necessary.
