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Happy New Year from Snopes!

Featured on Snopes today: Our evergreen roundup of New Year's folklore, unfounded rumors of a new "kidnapping ploy" by sex traffickers, and viral photos of a 3-horned cow in Uganda!

Published Dec. 31, 2019

According to a folk tradition originating from the southern United States, eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day brings good luck for the rest of the year. Conversely, if you eat chicken or turkey, you can expect to be scratching in the dirt for the next 12 months. Did you know, as well, that you should avoid crying on the first day of the year so as not to invite sadness for the remainder?

New Year’s superstitions are plentiful and nearly all revolve around the begetting of good or bad fortune in the months to come. If we’ve whet your appetite for more, please enjoy our rambling sampler of folk traditions linked below.

May 2020 be prosperous and happy for you and yours!

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