How many of these customs from the Victorian era do you hold on to?
Do you think Spanish people are weird for eating 12 grapes when they countdown to New Year’s? Then you don’t know how Victorians rang in the new year. And trust me when I say shocking is just a mild word. But you will find out more if you continue reading the article.
Even though the Victorians were somehow passionate about death and morbid stuff, similar to today, parties, dancing, and joyous spirits were essential components of New Year’s celebrations for many Victorian families.
Below are some of the most amazing New Year’s Eve customs from the Victorian era. Don’t say I didn’t tell you!
Ringing bells at midnight
One of the best customs from the Victorian era, still practiced in some regions today, is the ringing of bells at midnight. Bells were rung to represent the triumph of good over evil and to inspire optimism for harmony and joy in the upcoming year.
Throwing bread on New Year’s Eve at the door
It was primarily for the homes of the south and midland counties of Ireland to throw a loaf of bread at the door. They were known as barmbrack loaves. As the household prayed that they would be warm, fed, and healthy for the upcoming year, the man of the house took three bites before lobbying at the door.
Always have money in your pocket!
I don’t know about you, but this is one of the customs from the Victorian Era that I and my family keep as well. They say that to protect themselves from poverty and bad luck in the coming year, Victorians made sure to have some cash on hand on New Year’s Day. I definitely didn’t get rich yet…hmm!
Never take anything out of the house without replacing it ASAP
The idea that you shouldn’t take anything out of the house without first bringing something in was another superstition that lingered in some areas of Northern England. Bad luck will follow you into the New Year if you ignore the tradition!
Bake a not-so-tasty pie
When it comes to food, for sure Victorians had a way to turn everything into something well, gross. And they kept on doing it, including for New Year’s Eve when the custom was to make a disgusting pie made of all the greasy ingredients ever.
Some households made a magnificent “New Year’s Pie” by stuffing a boiled cow’s tongue inside a chicken, which was then inside a duck, which was inside a turkey, which was inside a goose. After that, a beef fat jelly is applied to the entire thing. Thanks, but I will skip it! (haha)
They saw New Year’s Eve as a kind of funeral
We typically give the Victorians a morbid, melancholy quality when we think of them. They maintained this gloomy atmosphere even on New Year’s Eve. Both poets and religious leaders encouraged people to view each year as a form of death. Were they trying ready for a possible death in the new year or letting their old self die to embrace change and prosperity in the new year? We will never know what was inside their heads.
Clover and swine bring you good fortune
If you’re familiar with Victorian times, then you’re probably aware of their amazingly weird and quirky postcards. Of course, they couldn’t help but do some for New Year’s Eve. This time around they put clover and pigs on them because this combination was supposed to bring good fortune to the recipient of the postcard.
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On the first day of January, avoid letting a woman enter your home first
According to a Scottish and Northern English superstition known as the “first-foot” or “first-footing,” it was unlucky for a man with light hair or, depending on the area, a man with dark hair to be the first to enter a house in the new year. Having a woman enter first was even worse. A woman entering the house before noon was considered unlucky in one valley of Shropshire. A bit discriminatory don’t you think?
Find a lover
In most cases, wealthy Victorians used to throw big parties, and as it happens, there were plenty of single guests too. That’s why one of the customs from the Victorian era for New Year’s Eve is to find a lover on this night. All the splendor was probably a night of fun, mingling, and celebration!
Open the Bible randomly to read your future
This practice, known as “dipping,” entailed flinging open the Bible and pointing naively to a passage. Regardless of what the verse said, it predicted your future for the year ahead. Hopefully, nobody warns of the impending end of the world. So what do you think, would you try this for this NYE party?
Make someone ride the stang
In some parts of England, a gang would kidnap someone on New Year’s Day and force them to ride a pole (or “stang”) to the closest pub and pay a fine to the crowd to be released. This medieval practice, known as “riding stang,” persisted into the Victorian era and was an act of mob violence.
By the 19th century, it had evolved from a means of punishing and shaming criminals or members of the community who were deemed immoral to a simple New Year’s celebration! How cheerful.
Wear new clothes
This is another customer from the Victorian Era that we still keep nowadays. On the first of the year, a new suit was worn to represent new beginnings and let go of all the difficulties of the previous year.
They did “the Threshold”
For Victorians, the threshold was especially important. It served as a metaphor for the transition between years. The front door was thrown open at midnight and shouts of “Welcome! Welcome!” were heard as the new year began. To guarantee a year without hunger, the head of the household would then toss a cake against the door.
In addition, it was thought that the fortune of the family for the year would be predicted by the first person to enter the house after midnight. It was considered a sure sign of prosperity for the coming year if this person arrived with gifts, which were typically coal, spices, sweets, and whiskey. If it was a man with dark hair, luck was on the way. There would be problems if it was a blonde.
Give gifts and postcards to your loved ones
It was believed that sending cards and small presents of money, fruit, and spices would encourage the Fates to be generous in the upcoming year. New Year’s cards might have mischievous monkeys, drunk frogs, and more dead birds, much like the strange Victorian Christmas imagery of dead birds and dogs with guns. Cards from the Kinney Tobacco Company that featured pictures of kids being thrown into a cauldron to make soup and were stamped with the date of the previous year were especially clever.
What do you think about these customs from the Victorian era? Tell us in the comments.
It’s not really a related topic, yet it’s something that suits this season, something interesting for all history lovers out there: Christmas During Nazi Germany. 9 Unbelievable Facts.
