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Original poster

Do you believe it's bad luck to do laundry on new year's day?

184 replies

MamOfTwo · 31/12/2024 15:59

The laundry situation is out of control in this house. I have a laundry mountain range (not just a mountain). I am not superstitious at all. And yet I just found myself thinking: "Well, I can't do any tomorrow as it 's bad luck." Think it may even have been on here I was first made aware of the superstition. Am I being silly not to do any laundry tomorrow?!

OP posts:
OTannenbaumOTannenbaum · 31/12/2024 23:58

The washing doesn't know it's New Year's Day 😁

Itsaswelltime · 31/12/2024 23:59

Yes!

notthatoldchestnut · 01/01/2025 00:00

Definitely no washing on New Year's Day here.

dementedpixie · 01/01/2025 01:01

I've just set my machine up to finish about 8am

NoWordForFluffy · 01/01/2025 01:13

Our washer is on the go! Our garden is pretty waterlogged right now, but we're due dry weather for tomorrow so it'll dry! 🤞

therewasafishinthepercolator · 01/01/2025 01:22

We don't believe in superstitions so would have no problem putting a wash on if needed.

That said DD and her BF just ate 12 grapes under the table at midnight like a pair of eejits and we made dark haired DH go outside and then come in again carrying salt and coal.

Just for the craic. 😏

I'll let you know if we become disgustingingly rich in the new year.

IsadoraQuagmire · 01/01/2025 09:16

I thought this was primarily a Chinese superstition, and relates to the Chinese New Year which isn't January 1st.
But it isn't just washing clothes that's supposed to be unlucky, it's washing anything including doing dishes, washing your hair, or showering.

InfoSecInTheCity · 01/01/2025 09:24

No washing on NY day in this house, my family always said that doing a clothes wash on NY day meant you'd be washing someone out of your life.

Now logically I know it's rubbish, but it's not exactly a hardship to skip a day of laundry so I chose to maintain the superstition.

TroysMammy · 01/01/2025 09:27

Superstition - a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
b
: an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition
2
: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary.

After googling this, my washing machine is going on. If anyone dies I won't be blaming my clean knickers.

TroysMammy · 01/01/2025 09:30

Also Mumsnetters who have posted about people who have been awful to them in 2024 - get your washing machines on and wash them out of your life in 2025.

Funkyslippers · 01/01/2025 09:40

OTannenbaumOTannenbaum · 31/12/2024 23:58

The washing doesn't know it's New Year's Day 😁

But evil spirits lurking in the detergent do 🤣

Itsaswelltime · 01/01/2025 09:44

Yes!!!

RoseMarigoldViolet · 01/01/2025 09:56

No! Start your new year with a bang and conquer that laundry mountain range.
🧗‍♀️⛰️⛰️⛰️ 🧺🧺🧺

Snowmanscarf · 01/01/2025 10:09

Dog has been sick overnight, so his bedding is now in the washing machine.

i usually don’t do washing, as it’s a bank holiday and it’s nice to be free from the shackles of housework for a day.

mum2jakie · 01/01/2025 10:59

Sod it - it's stopped raining and we won't be going far today so I've put a load on! I must have done washing most years before I heard of this superstition and I'm yet to be orphaned so I'll take the risk!

Zippedydodah · 01/01/2025 11:00

My mother was highly superstitious but I’m certainly not! The washing machine is on its second load.

Branster · 01/01/2025 11:08

ObtuseMoose · 31/12/2024 17:17

As long as you sit under a table and eat twelve grapes at midnight tonight you can do whatever the duck you want tomorrow.

Of fuck I didn't count how many grapes I ate and didn't know it had to be under the table. Next I'll learn they were the wrong colour.

Back to OP's question. I don't wash Good Friday, Easter Day, Christmas Day or New Year Day. Or clean. Apart from vacuuming the floors because dog hair doesn't ever line up with calendar days. I do as much as possible beforehand. Last thing I want us to deal with laundry when we have a constant stream of visitors / going out for family walks / nonstop feeding everyone. And it feels bloody good not to have to think about it.

I, too, suspect some clever women came up with these superstitions to give themselves a break.

dontforgetme · 01/01/2025 11:11

I don't do laundry on New Year's Day. I'm too fucking hungover 😂

NikKai · 01/01/2025 11:15

My toddler did a poo explosion after all the new year party food, in his cot this morning. Trust me, it would be worse luck to leave that and the stench lying about 🤢

pinneddownbytabbies · 01/01/2025 11:39

Well I have already done one load this morning (work clothes for tomorrow) and there's at least another one or two on the way as I'm about to change the beds. I've had the flu for ten days, and today is the first day I actually feel like doing something other than lounging about coughing and feeling sorry for myself.

pippapipps · 01/01/2025 11:41

I was thinking the same I have wash baskets full, lovely dry day even some sun peeping through but I read on here about the bad luck...and so I haven't done any

CoolPlayer · 01/01/2025 11:54

My washing machine has already been on today x

FelixtheAardvark · 01/01/2025 12:16

Never heard that it's bad luck to do washing on NYD before.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 01/01/2025 12:30

Well my life can’t get any worse at the moment so I’m going all out lol.

garlictwist · 01/01/2025 12:38

No. What a load of old baloney. Nothing you do - or don't do - is good or bad luck.