I found this neat website about New Year's Traditions and Superstitions. I also really like this font color; I think I might use it more often :)
New Year Superstitions
Drinking and kissing your spouse or life partner at
the stroke of midnight is a very popular New Year superstition. Most
superstitions, traditions and customs related to beginning of a year
stems from the belief that whatever you do on the first day of the year
will set the pattern for the whole coming year. Other superstitions are
to ward off evil spirits and invite Lady Luck in our house. January 1st
is supposed to be the most important day of the year as everything we do
on this day is supposed to become a part of our life for the next 364
days. Some popular New Year superstitions are:
- Avoid breaking things, crying and wailing on the first day of the
year, if you don't want to continue the pattern for the entire year.
- Babies born on 1st January is said to be the luckiest of all
throughout their lives.
- Do not let money, jewelry, precious items or other invaluable
things leave your home on New Year Day. Do not pay loans and bills
or lend things to anybody, if you do not want to show just-entered
fortune the way to leave during the year. People go to the extent of
not taking out garbage or even not dusting their carpets on this day
to ensure that nothing goes out of home during the year.
- Dress well throughout the year by wearing new clothes on January
1.
- Evil One and his attendants and servants hate din and loud noise.
So, scare them away by being as loud in New Year celebrations as
possible. Church bells are rung at midnight for the purpose too.
- Full larders, cupboards stocked up with food and wallets and
purses full of money bring prosperity in New Year.
- If you have to deliver presents on New Year morning, leave them
in the car since New Year Eve on December 31st.
- If you must take something out from the home, let someone come
with the present inside the home first.
- Never leave the home before someone comes in first. First footer
in the house should be ushered in with a warm welcome and should not
have flat feet, cross-eyes or eyebrows stretching out to meet in the
middle.
- Pay your bills and loans before New Year Eve, so you don't have
any debt left for New Year.
- People do not wash hair on New Year and wear festive red clothing
for happiness all the year round.
- The direction of wind during sunrise on New Year morning
prophesizes about the coming year. Wind from south foretells fine
weather and prosperous times ahead, wind from north foretells bad
weather, wind from east foretells famine and natural calamities and
wind from west foretells plenty of milk and fish for all but death
of a person of great national importance. No wind means joy and
prosperity throughout the year.
- Token amount of work on first day of the year means advancements
in career but starting out a serious work project is unlucky on New
Year Day.
- Washing dishes and doing laundry on this day is said to lead to a
death in the family during the year.
http://www.indobase.com/holidays/new-year/new-year-superstitions.html
I'm feeling stressed out today. It started in the morning when I tried calling my doctor to get the results of my x-ray. After speaking with several people, I finally left a message with the secretary. That was 9 hours ago and she hadn't called me back and I doubt she will call me tomorrow. I guess I need to try again tomorrow morning.
My mom and I are paying more then we should for our health insurance. Before my father's one year anniversary of his death, both of us were covered under his medical and now that is no longer the case. So my mom is looking for another job to handle this extra weight *sigh*
It seems that I write whenever things are wrong or have gone awry. Writing is, and has always been, very therapeutic for me. I was looking through my old journals and the entries I have created since I was young. I actually haven't updated my "paper" journal for over a year and I did yesterday. I love how I have these things to look back on and it's interesting to see how much I have grown
I'm finally finished with school and it wasn't without any hard struggles in this past week. It started with one of my professors who exempted me from her paper final only to give me an A- for her class. After emailing her about this, she explained that the "-" was for not participating and speaking up in class. I can remember volunteering to be her "class dummy" in which I was the counselor and she was the bratty eighth-grader. I participated at least one in every class and this wasn't enough for her. Just because I'm not as loud as some other more experienced students in my class, she thinks this is the kind of person I am. She says that I will have to speak up and break up fights and arguments when I am in school. Duh! I work in an after school program, I know all about this. I hate how she thinks she can pigeonhole me as a certain person but she does not know me.
I hope that I can one day find a great boss because this boss I am working for now is no good. I've been there around 5 years and she still treats me like I'm a teenager, not someone who is getting her Master's degree. The other day, she told me harshly, "Joanna, NO ONE is allowed to go outside, OKAY??" I said "Sure, why, is there someone outside right now?" and she tells me with her hands up in the air, "THIS IS A STATEMENT, I said NO ONE is allowed to go out!" She was referring to the bad weather we were having on the East Coast a couple of days ago. Geez, mind you, this was in front of all the students and several adults who were in the room. How dare she speak to me and humiliate me like that. God forbid I ask a question. I think she expects me to be a robot and nod my head yes Ms. Eileen. This job is so convenient though and gives me flexible hours and I would hate to leave it. If only my professor had seen me, haha.
It's funny how does two people can preoccupy my mind these past few days. Now that I got it out of my system, I can put on Christmas songs, wrap presents, and try having some fun! :)
I don't think I mentioned that I went to see an allergist last week. For years I've been sneezing and feeling allergic to things in my house. Well after the allergist tested me, I discovered that I'm allergic to dogs (I have a dog ), dust and roaches! She wants to see me in January for further testing. In addition, she gave me a referral to a dermatologist. I've been breaking out and the cold weather and allergies don't help my skin at all. She also gave me a referral to get a chest x-ray for my hives that I tend to get around my chest area. This worries me a little but she just wants me to do this as a precaution. Knowing what happened to my dad, of course I need to do this!
Almost done with school! As a matter of fact, I need to hurry up and finish my 10 page paper that is due today. All I need to add are recommendations and a conclusion paragraph.
Have a great day!!!!
I need to make my journal private for this entry. I also need objective minds!
....deleted the rest in order to put my journal on public again...
