All over the world, people have found interesting ways to pass the time when winter grips the world within its frozen hand. Though advancements in technology have made it much easier to get through the thick of winter by bingeing endless media, you may find yourself with cabin fever from time to time. To feel renewed and ready for the arrival of spring, make sure you don’t become too idle or complacent in the months leading to the thaw. Here are some traditions to get you through winter.
Your Shoes Predict Your Romantic Future
If you’re currently single, one thing on your mind during the winter might be finding a romantic partner. It can be difficult to endure the colder months alone, and countless people take to dating apps and other methods when looking for human connection. In the Czech Republic, one practice takes the search for a mate to a whole new level. A tradition often used to welcome the new year in January involves single women throwing their shoes at the outside of their homes.
Though it might seem like a symbolic act of frustration, the focus is on how the shoe lands after it bounces off the house. If the heel faces away from the home, it means that the woman is likely to find love that will take her away from the house in the coming year. It might not be a sound method, but throwing your shoe at your house might be worth a shot if you’re bored.
Poetry for the Soul
In Ancient Persia, the winter solstice was often celebrated with a festival known as Yalda. The all-night event involved reading poetry, eating pomegranates, and drinking wine as a way of keeping evil forces at bay until the morn. Though occurring early in the winter, the activities of Yalda are meant to symbolize that which keeps people warm later during the thick of the season. The next time you feel down, here are some traditions to get you through winter: crack open a book of poetry, drink a good bottle of wine, or invite a few friends over for a late-night session of snacking and chatting.
Freeze and Feel Alive
Across coastal areas of the United States, there is a winter tradition often lovingly referred to as the “Polar Bear Plunge.” Essentially, people will head to the beaches on a morning that is particularly cold and rush into the frigid waters of the ocean without restraint. The act of doing this is meant to invigorate the senses during a time when it is easy for them to feel dull. In recent years, people use these events as a way of raising money for a good cause or bringing awareness to a particular issue.
Not Today, Witch
In the past, many people believed that the winter was a time when dark and powerful magic was prevalent. Naturally, this led to a number of strange traditions centered around protecting the home and family from evil. In Norway, the fear of witches resulted in a tradition that persists to this day: hiding the brooms. Starting on Christmas Eve, families will hide their brooms. According to superstition, leaving a broom out invites a witch into the home to steal it away. Families will leave the brooms hidden all winter long in some cases.
From putting cleaning supplies in secret places to jumping into the frozen waters of the Atlantic, people have many different ways of shaking the winter blues. Hopefully, the bevy of traditions from around the world is enough to show you that sometimes the reasoning itself doesn’t matter; what’s important is adopting the right traditions to get you through winter.