Mopping grubby floors, sorting the laundry, and finally getting your house may seem like a positive way to start 2026.
But if you need an excuse to relax after last night’s celebrations, we’ve got one right here: it’s actually bad luck to clean on New Year’s Day.
That’s right, don’t grab your bucket and bleach yet, because a long-standing superstition says you should avoid doing chores on January 1.
Here’s why.
Why is it bad luck to clean on New Year’s Day?
The original folklore around cleaning at New Year seems to date back to Chinese traditions, but many cultures have their own superstitions, myths, and old wives’ tales that say you should steer clear of it on January 1.
In a number of countries, doing laundry on the first day of the year is said to ‘wash away a loved one’, meaning that a friend or family member will pass away in the following 364 days.
Others claim washing clothes or dishes on New Year’s Day will ‘wash away good luck’, or that sweeping the floors can also sweep away your good fortune. And if that’s not a reason to steer clear of your to-do list, we don’t know what is!
Even emptying bins and taking out rubbish is a big no-no on New Year’s Day — at least if you believe in the widespread superstition that removing things from the house could encourage prosperity to disappear.
Some traditions from various parts of the world also say that what you do on the first day of the year will reflect how the rest of it pans out. So piling into the housework on January 1 suggests you’re in for 52 weeks of hard, boring graft — and nobody wants that.
Of course, these are all just myths. But we’ll probably leave the bins, just in case.
Do you believe in New Year's Day cleaning superstitions?
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Yes, I follow these traditions
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No, I don't believe in superstitions
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I'm curious about the custom, but unsure if it's truly bad luck
What brings good luck on New Year’s Day?
Taking a break from housework certainly can’t hurt, but there are several other New Year traditions said to invite good luck, good fortune, and possibly even wealth into your life.
These include:
- Eating 12 grapes at midnight
- Wearing white
- Taking a stroll with an empty suitcase (to bring good fortune to travel).
If you’re sure it’s all baloney though, then get vacuuming and put those bins out!
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