The first thing on New Year's morning, open your Bible and the first
verse your finger or thumb touches that verse, will betoken what will
occur during the year.

On New Year's morning if a sprig of green is placed in the Bible, the
verse on which it lies fortells the events of the year.

It is lucky for a dark man to enter the house first on New Year's
morning, and I know a man who used to see the Old Year out and the New
Year in with a friend who always arranged for a very dark man to wait
for him outside his own house until he returned. The man then entered
the house first, and after a glass of something warm and good wishes, he
left.

It is also a custom on New Year's Eve for some people to hide a
sovereign or half-sovereign outside the house and when leaving the house
on New Year's morning to pick up the piece of gold which is said to
ensure their having gold in their pockets all that year.

Whatever is done on New Year's day, you will do throughout the year.

As the weather is the first twelve days of January so it will be for the
twelve months. Each day's weather is taken for the corresponding month.

Plough Monday, First Monday after Epiphany. This custom has almost
passed away. Only two lots of men were seen in Peterborough this year,
the Stores no doubt not encouraging them as the tradesmen did in the old
times. In Northampton, in 1910, I saw numerous groups of children with
blackened faces and grotesque dresses going about the streets on this
day as Plough witches.