As 2026 approaches, there is no better time to reflect on the year you’ve had and reset for the new one ahead. This time of year, it’s only natural to look back on the things you achieved or the memories you made in 2025. And going into the New Year, you might have some new goals or want to start off the year with a changed mindset.
But before it’s time to ring in 2026, your New Year’s Eve plans come first. And I’m here to remind you that how you spend your New Year’s Eve can set the tone for the year ahead of you. Whether you’re spending the evening solo, with friends, or cozied up with your partner, there are so many New Year’s Eve rituals that are perfect to set intentions, shift your mindset, and set yourself up for success in the coming year. From goal-setting activities to superstitions meant to bring you good luck, these New Year’s Eve rituals will help you start 2026 out on the right foot.
1. Write down your intentions and resolutions
Whether you believe New Year’s resolutions are cheesy or not, there is serious power in writing down your goals and intentions for the new year ahead. Sit down with your journal and think about what you’d like the new year to look like for yourself. Maybe you’re eyeing a promotion or have been thinking about a cross-country move. Whatever your goals are, putting them to paper will help you get clear on your intentions.
2. Cleanse your space
Is there any better feeling than a completely clean space? Before heading out for your NYE plans, spend the day tidying and decluttering your space. When you wake up on January 1, you’ll feel completely at peace and ready to bring in whatever the year has in store for you. Decluttering, cleaning, and getting rid of things ensures your home is just as ready for a fresh start as you are.
3. Eat 12 grapes
If you’re looking to incorporate some cultural traditions into your New Year’s Eve plans, try out the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes, one for each month of the year. This ritual symbolizes good luck and fortune for the coming year. And if you want to take it a step further, some believe that if you crouch under a table while eating the grapes, you will find love in the coming year. As with any of the cultural rituals ahead, make sure to partake respectfully and understand the origins of each tradition.
4. Put cash in your wallet
If you’re hoping to attract more wealth in 2026, don’t start off the year with an empty wallet. Before your New Year’s Eve plans, head to an ATM to take out some cash. Keeping money in your wallet on New Year’s Eve is a common superstition that’s believed to bring more abundance and financial prosperity to the year ahead.
5. Practice midnight reflection and gratitude
The end of the year is the perfect time to practice some reflection and gratitude. This New Year’s Eve ritual can be done in whatever way you prefer, whether it be a meditative practice or a journaling prompt. By reflecting on the past year, you can offer gratitude for those experiences and let go of any negativity, allowing you to move into the new year with a refreshed and positive outlook.
6. Wear polka dots
Good news if you hopped on this year’s polka dots trend: Wearing them on New Year’s Eve may bring you good luck in 2026. In the Philippines, many people ring in the new year wearing polka dot clothing because the round shapes symbolize money and good fortune. It’s worth a shot if you’re looking for New Year’s outfit inspo.
7. Celebrate with loved ones
Starting off the new year with loved ones by your side boosts positive energy and connection. It’s so important to feel a sense of community with the people around you, and by celebrating the New Year together, you reinforce that connection and feeling of love in your own life.
8. Burn negativity from the past year
If 2025 was a tough year for you, let those memories (literally) go up in flames. On a slip of paper, write down any worries, mistakes, bad habits, or negative experiences you don’t want to take with you into the next year. Similar to the año viejo tradition practiced on New Year’s Eve in Ecuador, it’s an opportunity to let go of negativity or unwanted memories from the past year and start off 2026 with a clean slate. Just be sure to practice fire safety! A fireplace or outdoor fire pit is the best place to try this New Year’s Eve ritual.
9. Eat black-eyed peas and collard greens
Eating a meal of black-eyed peas and collard greens is a Southern tradition that’s believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. The black-eyed peas symbolize coins, while the greens are meant to represent paper money. Some even say you should eat a total of 365 peas, one for each day of the year. For extra luck, serve some cornbread (which symbolizes gold) on the side.
10. Set a financial intention for the year
If you’re looking to make your finances a part of your resolutions this year, try out a ritual that can set your financial intentions for the new year. Depending on what you want to achieve, you can work on organizing your finances, create a new budget for yourself, or even just set money goals that you’d like to achieve by year-end.
11. Create a vision board
Is 2026 the year you finally manifest your dreams? To make those dreams a reality, spend the evening making a vision board. By putting together images representative of your intentions, you are actively bringing that energy into reality. This New Year’s Eve ritual works perfectly as a solo task or a girls’ night with your closest friends.
12. Break plates
If you’re willing to let things get a little messy wherever you are celebrating, try out the Danish ritual of breaking plates. In Denmark, many people practice this tradition to ward off bad spirits and usher in a fresh start to the new year.
13. Stock your pantry
Many New Year’s Eve rituals are meant to represent abundance, and this one is no different. Starting the new year with a fully stocked pantry symbolizes prosperity and good fortune in the coming months. On the flip side, having empty cupboards on January 1 is believed to lead to scarcity and financial hardship in the year ahead. So if it’s been a few days since you hit the grocery store, be sure to stock up before the 31st.
14. Make mochi
If you’re looking to do some crafting in the kitchen this New Year’s Eve, you can partake in the Japanese tradition of making mochi. Preparing mochi, a Japanese rice cake, on New Year’s is symbolic of renewal and is believed to bring about blessings for the year. And if making it from scratch sounds like too much work, you can always just grab some from the grocery store to enjoy instead.
15. Sing “Auld Lang Syne”
It’s time to brush up on your singing! This classic New Year’s Eve song is a global tradition, despite its Scottish origins. The song’s lyrics convey the message of saying goodbye to the previous year and welcoming the new one. With a group of loved ones joining in, you can all start the year with a fresh mindset.
16. Journal
Although journaling is a great practice year-round, getting down your thoughts and feelings about the past year and the coming one is an ideal way to focus inward on New Year’s Eve. The best part about journaling is that it’s entirely up to you what to write about. Whether that means intentions, feelings of regret, memories from the past year—you can write anything you want. Either way, you’ll be more in touch with your emotions and feelings when the new year begins.
17. Smash pomegranates
In ancient Greece, pomegranates were viewed as a symbol of abundance and luck. This symbol still holds strong, with people smashing pomegranates outside their doors to bring good luck to the new year. The more pomegranate seeds spilled in the smash, the more luck you’ll have for the new year. Not into smashing pomegranates? Bring a little luck to your celebrations by incorporating pomegranate into your cocktails and treats.
18. Carry an empty suitcase
If you’re manifesting a year of travel, try out this ritual. In Colombia, people take a stroll around the block with empty suitcases as a way of inviting adventure and travel into their lives for the coming year. If you have dreams of seeing more of the world in 2026, this is a great way to bring positive energy to that intention.
19. Wear red underwear
If you’re on the search for love, put on your cutest pair of red underwear on New Year’s Eve. This tradition is mostly practiced in Spanish, Italian, and Chinese cultures, but if you’re on the hunt for some good fortune in the romance department next year, it’s definitely worth joining in.
20. Watch the Ball Drop
As the clock approaches midnight, find a screen near you to watch the ball drop in Times Square (we’ll personally be watching Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on CNN). Whether you’re going out or staying in, it’s a fun way to count down the seconds until 2026. Either way, we’re absolutely tuning in to see NYE show hosts kissing strangers from the crowd at midnight.
21. Kiss someone at midnight
Ah, the midnight kiss. While this might be the most well-known New Year’s Eve ritual, few know that it actually dates back to ancient Rome. Whether it be a loved one or a random stranger in a crowded bar, kissing someone at midnight has long been a way to share some love and offer good luck in the coming year.
22. Bang bread against the walls
Gather some positive energy for the New Year by joining in the Irish tradition of banging bread against the walls. The Irish believe that doing so wards off evil spirits and brings abundance to the coming year.
23. Jump seven waves
If you live or are celebrating near a lake or ocean, try out this Brazilian ritual on New Year’s Eve, which involves jumping seven waves. With each jump, you make a wish for the upcoming year, so if you have a long list of “wants” for 2026, this can help bring them to fruition.
24. Put mistletoe under your pillow
If finding “the one” is on your list of 2026 goals, place a piece of mistletoe underneath your pillow before you hit the hay. According to Irish tradition, this will make you dream of your future lover. Sweet dreams!
25. Jump into the new year
In Denmark, you will find most people standing on a chair as the countdown to midnight begins, preparing to practice the Danish tradition of “jumping” into the new year at midnight. It’s believed to be bad luck if you forget, so make sure you have a sturdy chair on standby as the clock strikes 12.
26. Watch the sunrise
Whether you stay up all night or wake up early to do so, watching the sunrise on the New Year is meant to bring great fortune and abundance to your year. In Japan, the first sunrise of the year is known as “hatsuhinode,” and waking up early to watch it is a commonly practiced ritual.
27. Open the windows and doors
Although this one might be harder to do for those of us in seriously cold temps at this time of year, this ritual of opening windows and doors helps you cleanse and reset for the new year. This superstition is thought to be a way of letting the energy out from the previous year, making way for new and positive intentions.
28. Join a Polar Plunge
Many people around the globe partake in the Polar Plunge to ring in the New Year by submerging in cold water. Although it might sound like the last thing you’d want to do, official community plunges support the Special Olympics, making it an impactful, positive way to start your year.
29. Focus on self-care
If your goals for 2026 revolve around self-love and focusing on yourself, then indulging in a self-care ritual to kick off the new year is a great way for you to spend your time. Break out the candles and draw a relaxing bath, take an everything shower, or do a detailed skincare routine to set a positive and calming tone for the year ahead.
30. Write a letter to yourself for next New Year’s Eve
To help you reflect on where you are now and where you want to be in a year’s time, write yourself a letter to be opened on the following New Year’s. Where do you see yourself on the eve of 2027? Write down any goals or wishes you have for yourself, seal them in an envelope, and open it up next New Year’s Eve to see how far you’ve come.
Jenna Piotrowicz, Editorial Assistant
Jenna began working as an Editorial Assistant for The Everygirl in 2024. With her eye for detail, she assists the team with content creation, sourcing products and images, and works behind the scenes to support The Everygirl in uploading and updating content.
Jessica Friedhoff, Senior Lifestyle Editor
Jessica Friedhoff is the Senior Lifestyle Editor at The Everygirl, where she oversees the Home & Living category of the site. She writes and edits stories across a broad range of topics including decorating, food, entertaining, travel, and more. With a pulse on the latest trends, she uses her eye for detail and design to create timely, inspiring content for our readers.
