Home > The Unwashed New Year: An Anthropological Deep Dive into the Folklore of Laundry and Luck

The Unwashed New Year: An Anthropological Deep Dive into the Folklore of Laundry and Luck

Don't you dare touch that washing machine on January 1st. Here's the dirt on the surprisingly common superstition that connects laundry and luck.
Disclaimer: The pictures shown here are meant to visually support the topic. They’re imaginative or representative visuals, not depictions of real situations or individuals.

Ever been told not to do laundry on New Year's Day? It's a real thing... a quirky superstition that says washing your clothes can wash away your luck for the whole year. Or, in some stories, wash away a family member (yikes). Let's dig into where this weirdly specific rule came from.

A modern laundry room with a basket of clothes next to a wall calendar showing January 1st circled with a red 'X' over it, symbolizing the superstition.

The Superstition

The main rule is simple: don't do any washing on January 1st, or you'll get a year of bad luck. All your laundry, dishes, and cleaning should be finished before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. The specific consequences are much more detailed and dire than just general "bad luck."

The Stakes of Suds: Breaking the rule could lead to one of three dire outcomes: washing away a loved one (death), washing away your good fortune (poverty), or setting a precedent for a year of endless chores (drudgery).

The scariest version is that you'll "wash a family member away," a folk saying for causing a loved one's death. Some people still talk about "washing for the dead." It’s a living tradition, especially in places like Appalachia, with stories linking a tragic death to a load of laundry done on that day.

A less grim fear is washing away your money. The idea is that the water swirling down the drain takes your good fortune and prosperity with it. This is part of a bigger belief that nothing valuable should leave the house on the first day of the year.

Then there's the more practical reason, which boils down to "like produces like." If you do a chore like laundry on January 1st, you're supposedly setting yourself up for a year of endless work. It's a great excuse for a day off, really.

The ban covers everything, from using a machine to washing by hand, and even hanging clothes out to dry. The different fears, from death to just having to do more chores, might show how the belief has changed over time. The oldest version was probably about death, while the worries about money and work are likely more modern updates.

Where Did This Come From?

The superstition is a big deal in the American South and Appalachia. It’s often passed down from mothers and grandmothers, who send out reminder texts every year. It’s a "Southern thing," right up there with eating black-eyed peas for luck.

An artistic and mythical depiction of Odin's Wild Hunt, with ghostly figures on spectral horses riding across a stormy, moonlit sky.

The tradition probably came over with Scots-Irish and German immigrants. We can trace a direct ancestor back to old Germanic myths. A belief from Germany warns against hanging laundry on a clothesline during the Rauhnächte , the twelve "rough nights" between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6).

Why? Because that's when the god Odin was said to lead the "Wild Hunt," a ghostly parade of spirits across the sky. Any laundry on the line might snag Odin or one of his riders. And you really didn't want to make a god mad, it could bring a curse of death on your house.

When Christianity spread, Odin was often replaced by the Devil, but the rule and its deadly consequence stuck around. German immigrants likely brought this spooky story with them to America. Over time, people forgot about Odin, but they remembered the main point: don't do laundry!

The "bad luck" part is just what's left of a much older, scarier story. The terror of the Wild Hunt has been boiled down to not pushing 'start' on a washing machine in Alabama. It's a cultural fossil... a faint echo of an ancient belief.

The Symbolic Meaning

This whole thing works on symbolic logic. On New Year's Day, a simple chore like washing clothes gets loaded with meaning for the fate of your household.

The main idea is "washing away." Usually, washing is a good thing - you're getting rid of dirt. But on January 1st, the water is thought to wash away the good stuff too, like good fortune, money, or even the life of a family member.

There's also the "law of firsts," which says that whatever you do on the first day of the year sets the tone for the next twelve months. So, doing a boring chore means a year of drudgery. Taking the day off to relax... well, you get the picture.

These beliefs treat the home like a container for the year's luck. On New Year's Eve, you open the doors at midnight to let the old year's bad luck out and the new year's good luck in. Then, for one day, you have to seal the house to keep that new, fragile luck from escaping.

So, washing, sweeping, or taking out the trash are all seen as dangerous leaks. The old folklore treats "luck" like a physical thing you can hold, spill, or accidentally throw away with the garbage. It's a whole system for protecting the year's fresh supply of good fortune.

A Global Spin Cycle

The ban on New Year's laundry isn't just a weird Western thing. It's part of a global pattern, a human urge to manage the turning of the year. The formula is almost always the same: clean like crazy before the new year, then stay perfectly still on the new year.

A family joyfully cleaning their home together, decorated with red lanterns and other Lunar New Year decorations, preparing for the holiday.

You see a perfect parallel in Chinese traditions for the Lunar New Year. There's a mandatory deep-clean of the house before the holiday, called "sweeping of the grounds" ( sao chen ), to get rid of the old year's bad luck. But as soon as the New Year arrives, all brooms and cleaning supplies are hidden away.

Sweeping is thought to sweep away new wealth. Washing your hair is also a no-go, because in Mandarin, the word for "hair" (发, fà ) sounds like the word in the phrase "to become wealthy" (发财, fā cái ). So, washing your hair is like symbolically washing your fortune away.

As for laundry, the first two days of the Lunar New Year are considered the birthday of the Water God (水神, Shuǐshén ). Doing laundry would be disrespectful. Plus, water is linked to wealth in traditional beliefs, so pouring out dirty laundry water is like pouring away your money.

In Japan, the tradition of ōsōji (大掃除), or "big cleaning," is a huge deal at the end of December. It's a spiritual purification to prepare a clean space to welcome the Toshigami , the god of the New Year. In Scotland's Hogmanay, the house must be spotless before midnight for the "first-footer," the first guest of the new year.

The Global Pattern: Across cultures, the approach to the new year is remarkably similar: a period of intense cleaning to purge the old year's negativity, followed by a period of stillness to preserve the new year's fragile luck.

The pattern is always "purge then preserve." The old year is symbolically dirty and must be cleaned out. The new year is pure but fragile, and must be protected.

New Year's Cleaning Rituals Around the World

Culture/Region Core Belief Prohibited Actions (on New Year's Day) Prescribed Actions (before New Year's Day) The Reason Why
American South / Appalachia Avoid bad luck (death, poverty, hard work). Laundry, sweeping, taking things out of the house. Complete all cleaning and laundry by New Year's Eve. Don't "wash away" people or luck; sets the tone for the year.
Germanic Europe (Historical) Avoid angry gods. Hanging laundry between Christmas and New Year's. Ensure clotheslines are clear. So Odin and the Wild Hunt don't get snagged and curse you.
China (Lunar New Year) Keep good luck; respect the gods. Washing clothes, sweeping, trash, washing hair. Thoroughly clean the entire house ("sweeping the grounds"). To avoid washing away new luck; to honor the Water God's birthday.
Japan Purify the home for the New Year god. (Focus is on pre-New Year action) Perform ōsōji ("big cleaning") of homes and workplaces. To clean out the old year's "dust" for the Toshigami .
Scotland (Hogmanay) Start the year fresh. (Focus is on pre-New Year action) Clean the house so it is spotless before midnight. To have a clean slate for the "first-footer" (first visitor).

This global pattern shows a nearly-universal human strategy for dealing with the anxiety of a new year. The old year is "dirty" with failures and sorrows and must be scoured away. The new year is "pure" and full of potential, but also fragile, so it must be protected while it gets settled.

Other Things You Shouldn't Do

The laundry ban is part of a bigger set of rules. They all follow one main principle: on New Year's Day, nothing leaves the house. The goal is to keep all that good fortune inside.

The Golden Rule for Jan 1st: If an action involves something leaving the house—be it dirt, trash, money, or even water—don't do it. The goal is to create a sealed container to hold onto the new year's luck.

A common rule is no sweeping or dusting on January 1st. Just like washing, sweeping is thought to push your new luck right out the front door. Brooms are to be left untouched until January 2nd.

In some traditions, this is taken very seriously... nothing can cross the threshold. That means no taking out the garbage or even carrying packages to the car. One old English account said people even kept potato peelings inside for the day.

Some beliefs also warn against washing your hair. It's thought to wash away your good thoughts or intelligence for the year. The body, like the house, is a temporary container for luck.

Money is a big one. Don't lend money or pay bills, or you'll set a pattern of money flowing out all year. Instead, you're supposed to make sure your cupboards are full and you have cash in your wallet when the new year starts.

All these rules create a kind of 24-hour household lockdown. It gives people a sense of control over the big, scary, unknown future. Following a few simple rules makes you feel like you're actively securing a good year, not just waiting to see what happens.

But... Why Do People Still Believe This?

So why do these superstitions stick around in our scientific age? It's less about a literal belief in magic and more about how these traditions help us. They both manage anxiety and strengthen family and community bonds.

A warm, candid photo of an elderly woman showing something on a smartphone to her smiling teenage granddaughter, representing the blending of tradition and modern life.

Psychologically, we all crave a sense of control, especially when facing something uncertain like the future. A simple rule like "don't do laundry" creates an illusion of control over the uncontrollable. It makes people feel like they're doing something to ensure a good year, which calms their anxiety.

It's a classic case of "magical thinking." If you skip laundry and then have a good year, your brain connects the two events, even if there's no real link. The cost of following the rule is tiny (laundry can wait a day), but the imagined risk of breaking it is huge (a year of bad luck!).

These traditions also serve a social purpose. Passing a superstition from parent to child is a powerful way to reinforce family bonds and a shared identity. A text from your mom reminding you about the laundry is a ritual of connection and care.

Following these rules, even jokingly, connects people to their heritage and gives a comforting sense of stability in a fast-changing world. The superstition's main job has shifted from preventing curses to reinforcing social ties and managing modern anxieties. It has adapted to stay relevant, even for people who don't truly "believe."

From Dire Warning to Viral Meme: The Laundry Taboo in the 21st Century

The old superstition about New Year's laundry has found a new home online. Instead of fading away, it's being shared, debated, and remixed on social media platforms like TikTok and Reddit. The internet is the new front porch for oral tradition.

You can find the whole spectrum of belief online. There are the true believers who post serious warnings and share personal stories of what happened when they broke the rule. They urge their followers not to tempt fate.

Then you have the jokesters, who either forgot the rule and are now comically awaiting their doom, or are proudly washing everything they own in defiance. As one person posted, "I did laundry on the first last year nobody died fr but now they're dead to me so I'll do it again." This humor lets people join the conversation without actually believing.

In the middle are the people who follow the rule out of respect for their family, especially mothers and grandmothers. For them, it's a quirky custom that honors their heritage. And, of course, there are the pragmatists who see it as the perfect excuse to take a day off from chores.

This massive online conversation shows the superstition is more visible than ever. It has become a cultural meme, a shared piece of knowledge that connects people at the start of the year. Discussing the rule online, whether seriously or in jest, is now part of the tradition itself.

Posting about the laundry taboo has become a digital badge of identity, a way to show you're Southern, or traditional, or just in on the joke. The internet has amplified folklore, allowing it to spread peer-to-peer instead of just from parent to child. The superstition has evolved from a private family belief into a global, participatory online event.

Works cited

  1. Is it bad luck to clean and do laundry on New Year's? The story behind the superstition, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bad-luck-clean-laundry-new-years/
  2. Why You Shouldn't Wash Laundry on New Year's Day, https://www.coohom.com/article/why-you-shouldn-t-wash-laundry-on-new-year-s-day
  3. New Year's Day superstitions: Don't wash clothes; do look for a tall, dark, stranger; eat greens - WFTV, https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/new-years-day-superstitions-dont-wash-those-clothes-look-tall-dark-stranger-eat-greens/7REETL2VB5AWHERRAZN3UYXFZ4/
  4. New Year's Day superstitions: Don't wash clothes; do look for a tall, dark, stranger; eat greens – KIRO 7 News Seattle, https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/new-years-day-superstitions-dont-wash-clothes-do-look-tall-dark-stranger-eat-greens/IROU5JMM5FFPFEISPMMTQEQ3LY/
  5. New Year's Day superstitions: Don't wash clothes; do look for a tall, dark, stranger - WFTV, https://www.wftv.com/news/trending/new-years-day-superstitions-dont-wash-clothes-do-look-tall-dark-stranger-eat-greens/IROU5JMM5FFPFEISPMMTQEQ3LY/
  6. New Year's Day Laundry Superstitions and Resolutions - The Spruce, https://www.thespruce.com/new-years-day-laundry-superstitions-2146899
  7. Avoid This Laundry Mistake on New Year's Day to Start 2025 Right! - Little Beau Sheep, https://www.littlebeausheep.com/avoid-this-laundry-mistake-on-new-years-day-to-start-2025-right/
  8. Why we don't do laundry on New Year's Day - It's a Southern Thing, https://www.southernthing.com/laundry-new-years-day-2656203144.html
  9. Do you do laundry/cleaning on New Year's Day? : r/AskUK - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/1hqj0ge/do_you_do_laundrycleaning_on_new_years_day/
  10. Don't Wash Clothes on Old Christmas (January 6th) and May You Have a Healthy New Year, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or3s4KC31hA
  11. New Year Superstitions You Shouldn't Ignore - TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@russell_jessica24/video/7455050359677930783
  12. Don't Do This Chore on New Year's Day If You're Superstitious - Bob Vila, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/bad-luck-new-years-chores/
  13. Don't do any washing on New Year's day : r/CasualIreland - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualIreland/comments/1hqrnkb/dont_do_any_washing_on_new_years_day/
  14. Washing clothes on New Years Day : r/CasualUK - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/18vfw8v/washing_clothes_on_new_years_day/
  15. New Year's Day superstitions : r/Appalachia - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/Appalachia/comments/18uk4yn/new_years_day_superstitions/
  16. Why I'm Not Doing Laundry on New Year's Day - YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETWuRM9guI
  17. German New Year's Traditions Are Better Than Yours - Oktoberfest ..., https://www.oktoberfesttours.travel/2016/12/28/german-new-years-traditions/
  18. New Year's Eve in Germany - Facts & Customs about Silvester, https://www.germany-insider-facts.com/new-years-eve-in-germany.html
  19. Cleaning (or Not) on New Years Day & Why You Shouldn't Worry : r/witchcraft - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/witchcraft/comments/18w3teg/cleaning_or_not_on_new_years_day_why_you_shouldnt/
  20. Southern Superstitions - BettyCrocker.com, https://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/mhplibrary/holidays/southern-superstitions
  21. Southern traditions and superstitions | LOCAL Life | Hilton Head Island & Bluffton, https://www.locallifesc.com/southern-traditions-and-superstitions/
  22. 12 Mostly-Southern Superstitions That May Surprise You - StyleBlueprint, https://styleblueprint.com/everyday/weird-southern-superstitions/
  23. Imagine the first thing you will be doing on New Year will be laundry! : r/Adulting - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/Adulting/comments/18v78kv/imagine_the_first_thing_you_will_be_doing_on_new/
  24. Superstition about washing clothes : r/Alabama - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/Alabama/comments/18otl6v/superstition_about_washing_clothes/
  25. Ringing in the new - Appalachian History -, https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2014/12/ringing-in-new.html
  26. New Years Traditions from Appalachia | Blind Pig and The Acorn, https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/new-years-traditions-from-appalachia/
  27. Traveling Jack: Tracing Settler Identity Through Appalachian Folklore - Scholars Junction - Mississippi State University, https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=endeavors
  28. Why Germans Don't Do Laundry Between Christmas and New Year's? #christmas #history, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByJ-Q4646MM
  29. HOW GERMANS CELEBRATE NEW YEAR'S EVE - The World of Cruise and Travel, https://theworldofcruiseandtravel.com/2021/12/28/how-germans-celebrate-new-years-eve/
  30. Do you Europeans have any superstitions for the new year or don't you believe in it? : r/AskEurope - Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/1hfj3wu/do_you_europeans_have_any_superstitions_for_the/
  31. Why You Should Avoid Washing Laundry on New Year s: Discover the Cultural Beliefs and Superstitions Behind This Tradition - Coohom, https://www.coohom.com/article/why-you-should-avoid-washing-laundry-on-new-year-s
  32. Very Superstitious (Magical and superstitious obsessions) - Western Suffolk Psychological Services, https://www.wsps.info/articles/very-superstitious-magical-and-superstitious-obsessions
  33. Magical Thinking: What It Is and Isn't - Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/magical-thinking
  34. Magical thinking - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_thinking
  35. New Year's Day superstitions: What are they and where did they ..., https://www.goodto.com/family/family-news/new-years-day-superstitions-what-are-they-where-they-originated
  36. New Year's Superstitions And Traditions, Explained: Avoid Cleaning, Eat Grapes And More, https://blavity.com/new-years-superstitions-traditions
  37. Before You Ring in the Lunar New Year, Check Out Our Dos and Don'ts, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/lunar-new-year-dos-and-donts/
  38. Is it considered good luck to clean your house on New Year's Eve? Why or why not? - Quora, https://www.quora.com/Is-it-considered-good-luck-to-clean-your-house-on-New-Year-s-Eve-Why-or-why-not
  39. New Year Superstitions: Beliefs That Shape the Start of a New Year - The Bromsgrove Standard, https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/news/new-year-superstitions-beliefs-that-shape-the-start-of-a-new-year-53489/
  40. History and meaning behind New Year superstitions from around the world - Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/soul-search/history-and-meaning-behind-new-year-superstitions-from-around-the-world/articleshow/116828854.cms
  41. 'Why I Haven't Cleaned My Apartment on New Year's Day for 12 Years' - Parade, https://parade.com/living/laundry-on-new-years-day-cleaning-superstition
  42. Lunar New Year Luck: 10 Taboos to Avoid for Good Fortune | Preferred Hotels, https://preferredhotels.com/where-next/spotlight/lunar-new-year-luck-10-taboos-avoid-good-fortune
  43. Chinese New Year Taboos and Superstitions: 18 Things You ..., https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/chinese-new-year-taboos.htm
  44. Taboos During Chinese New Year - Confucius Institute for Scotland, https://www.confuciusinstitute.ac.uk/taboos-during-chinese-new-year/
  45. 5 Chinese New Year Superstitions That's Good For The Soul - MyPay, https://mypay.com.my/blog/post/5-Chinese-New-Year-Superstitions-Thats-Good-For-The-Soul
  46. Cleaning and New Year's Day: Traditions and Superstitions - Molly Maid, https://www.mollymaid.com/practically-spotless/2024/november/cleaning-new-years-day/
  47. Top 5 Chinese New Year Taboos - emma wallace, https://emma-wallace.com/blogs/news/top-5-chinese-new-year-taboos
  48. Better not do the laundry: Chinese New Year practices you might not know about, https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/better-not-do-the-laundry-chinese-new-year-practices-you-might-not-know-about
  49. New Year's Cleaning Tradition in Japan: A Fresh Start for the Year Ahead - Bokksu, https://www.bokksu.com/blogs/news/new-year-s-cleaning-tradition-in-japan-a-fresh-start-for-the-year-ahead
  50. 6 New Year's Cleaning Traditions from Around the World, https://energycleaning.co.uk/6-new-years-cleaning-traditions-from-around-the-world/
  51. New Year's Day superstitions: Don't wash clothes; do look for a tall, dark, stranger; eat greens - WSOC TV, https://www.wsoctv.com/news/trending/new-years-day-superstitions-dont-wash-clothes-do-look-tall-dark-stranger-eat-greens/IROU5JMM5FFPFEISPMMTQEQ3LY/
  52. New Year's Cleaning Traditions and Superstitions - Inside Homes, Inc., https://www.insidehomescleaning.com/new-years-cleaning-traditions-superstitions/
  53. New Year's Day Folklore: Rituals & Superstitions For Good Luck - Icy Sedgwick, https://www.icysedgwick.com/new-years-day-folklore/
  54. New Year's Traditions and Superstitions | HGTV, https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/holidays/new-year-s-traditions-and-superstitions
  55. New Year's Superstitions and Traditions - Farmers' Almanac, https://www.farmersalmanac.com/new-years-superstitions-traditions
  56. The psychology of superstition, with Stuart Vyse, PhD, https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/superstition
  57. The Psychology of Superstitions - Care Counseling, https://care-clinics.com/the-psychology-of-superstitions/
  58. Superstition | EBSCO Research Starters, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/superstition
  59. The psychology of superstition - Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326330
  60. The Psychology of Superstitions: Why Do People Believe? - The Mind Talk, https://themindtalk.co/psychology/the-psychology-of-superstitions-why-we-believe/
  61. What is magical thinking? Examples and impact - Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/magical-thinking
  62. Superstition: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/explorations-in-positive-psychology/202306/superstition-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
  63. 2.2 Sociological perspectives on folklore and visual culture - Fiveable, https://library.fiveable.me/folklore-and-visual-culture/unit-2/sociological-perspectives-folklore-visual-culture/study-guide/fUuruCNYzfuWcO9C
  64. The Role of Folklore in Modern Society - IDOSR JOURNALS, https://www.idosr.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IDOSR-JAM-101-32-35-2025.pdf
  65. What is Folklore? – Social Sciences, Health, and Education Library (SSHEL), https://www.library.illinois.edu/sshel/specialcollections/folklore/definition/
  66. Family Traditions: A Sociological Perspective - Number Analytics, https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/family-traditions-sociology
  67. The Importance of Family Traditions: Connecting with Our Loved Ones - Grade Fixer, https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-importance-of-family-traditions-connecting-with-our-loved-ones/
  68. Superstition | Description & Examples | Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/superstition
  69. According to folklore, if you wash laundry on New Years Day, you'll be... - TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@aimeesieh/video/7319195102889446687
  70. Black Moms' New Year Superstition Comedy Show in Atlanta - TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@mycousin_tiera/video/7318853930623061294