Superstitions
Evil spirits don't stand a chance.
While much of the world is throwing confetti, clinking glasses of champagne, and smooching their loved ones at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, some parents-to-be are having their own sort of celebrations in the maternity ward. Welcoming a new addition to the family is certainly an exciting way to start off the new year, but what do the old wives' tales about New Year’s babies say? Will babies born on January 1 bring good fortune or just some irritating media attention while mom tries to recover from delivery?
There are old wives' tales for just about everything, especially when it comes to babies. It’s not hard to find stories on figuring out your baby’s gender with a ring on a string, making yourself go into labor by driving down a bumpy road, or knowing if your baby will have hair based on your heartburn symptoms during pregnancy. They’re all in good fun, but rarely are they ever accurate (or scientifically backed, for that matter).
Even if they can’t be trusted, old wives' tales are still a lot of fun to think about, and there are some really interesting ones for New Year’s babies. Who knows, maybe they’ll even convince you to try and time your next baby’s birth with January 1 in the coming years.
They're Lucky For Life
All over the world, New Year’s babies are said to be the luckiest in life. According to old wives' tales, from the day they’re born throughout the rest of their lives, New Year’s babies will find luck in love, finances, home, and every other aspect of life. Also, the closer they're born to the stroke of midnight, the luckier they are. An extra perk? The baby’s luck rubs off on the family for that first year of life, too (but after that, they’re on their own while baby keeps soaking up all that good fortune).
They're Immune To Evil Spirits
The last thing a parent wants to think about is evil spirits coming to haunt their baby. In fact, most parents really don’t think about that. However, if you’re the parent of a New Year’s baby, old wives tales say you especially don’t need to think about it because evil can’t visit your bundle of joy. So, if you have a New Year’s baby and an old house, you can at least feel confident that any creeks or squeaks you hear are just the house settling and not a haunting of some kind.
They're Super Fertile
The Greeks celebrated the rebirth of Dionysus, the god of fertility and wine, at the beginning of each new year, so it's not a stretch that this New Year's baby myth has to do with one of the two things the god is known for. Old wives' tales say that New Year's babies are extremely fertile, but there’s obviously no evidence to support this. However, if it’s really easy for your baby to start their own family (when the time comes, of course), there’s no shame in wondering if the legends are true.
They Know Their Way Around A Garden
In addition to being super fertile, New Year’s babies are also said to have a green thumb. This falls in line with fertility, of course, because it is technically bringing new life into the world. So, if later in life your baby develops a passion for horticulture, don’t be too surprised.
Old wives' tales are fun to think about, and circumstances can definitely leave you wondering if some of the legends actually are true, but if your baby happens to be extra lucky or ends up becoming a master gardener it’s safer to assume it’s a coincidence than fate. Go ahead and believe the evil spirits one, though, because that’s just going to help you sleep better at night.
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