If you are in your twenties or older, it is likely you have been to more than a few housewarming parties by now. Although having friends and family over to your new place is a fun way to make it feel like home, there are numerous age-old traditions and superstitions from around the world that are believed to bring good luck to your new house. If you are moving house soon and would like to increase your chances of good fortune, try your hand at tackling a few of the superstitions listed below.

Guarantee a Fresh Start by Leaving Your Troubles Behind

Moving house is a great opportunity to have a thorough clear out of all unwanted belongings that no longer serve a purpose in your life. A common superstition surrounding moving home is bringing the broom you used in the old house, into the new. It is believed that your broom not only carries dirt and dust of the old home, but also all the negative aspects of your life that you experienced while living in that house. Therefore, to give you a fresh start and leave old troubles in the past you must throw away your broom before you move and buy a new one to take into the new property.

Today this can be applied to brooms, hoovers, and mops as well. Some people get carried away with this superstition and end up throwing out most of their furniture and utensils in attempt to maximise the good fortune of a fresh start.

Paint Your New House Blue to Deter Spirits and Insects

This tradition comes from the southern states of America where it is extremely common for the ceiling of a porch to be painted blue. It stems from Gullah superstition which claims that haints (spirits) cannot cross water, therefore painting the threshold of a home blue like the ocean will keep spirits out. Today it is common to have porches, doors, windows and shutters painted blue to keep up tradition and ward off evil spirits. As well as spirits, haint blue paint was known to keep mosquitos and other annoying insects away.

The secret behind this legend is down to the way the pain is made. Originally paint in the southern states was made from mixing pigment with lime, and the lime deterred bugs. However, as tradition tells us it was the colour that warded off spirits, blue paint is still used today in attempt to keep both spirits and insects out of the home. When moving to a new property you could try painting some part of it blue to help bring you good fortune.

Pack Bread and Salt on Your Moving Day

It is said that bread and salt are symbols of hospitality and that they should be the first things taken into your new home. Likely deriving from Russian Jewish traditions, it is understood that bringing bread into a new home ensures those living there will not go hungry and that salt signifies they will always have flavour. Years ago bread was a staple food eaten at every meal throughout the day, while salt was also extremely valuable therefore both were understood to be signs of wealth and hospitality. By bringing these items into your new house on your moving day could guarantee a life full of flavour and food. What more could you want?

Burn Sage in Your New Home

Most likely deriving from Native American traditions, burning sage is understood to clear negative energy and add protection from it. After burning dried sage and while the edges are still smoking, you should wave the smoke into the dark corners of your new property to add protection from negativity.

Light a Candle to Cast out Darkness

Similarly to burning sage, many religions believe that you must light a candle when entering a new home in order to cast out darkness and evil spirits. It is said that lighting a candle on the first night in a new home is a blessing. In Chinese tradition specifically, the owner of a new home must shine a light into every corner and closet as this shows the spirits where to go and hide. More generally, house warming is thought to have meant lighting a fire in a new home. Fire is symbol of good, purity and strength therefore lighting a fire on the first night is said to be a good omen.

Boil Milk and Rice

Milk and rice cooked until it is overflowing in the pot symbolises purity and long life according to the Indian tradition of Vasthu Sastra. The overflowing mixture is a symbol of wealth overflowing into the home. In this culture it is believed that unseen entities and energies are present in homes and they must be cast out with prayer. If you do not follow this faith, you can stick to the overflowing pot and even try breaking a coconut as this is believed to clear all obstacles in the way of the moving day.

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