New Year’s Day marks the start of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated on January 1st every year. As people prepare to ring in the new year, riddles about New Year’s Day can be a fun way to get in the celebratory spirit. Here are 85 riddles about New Year’s Day along with their answers. Some touch on New Year’s traditions and symbols, while others play with the themes of new beginnings and fresh starts. The riddles range from easy to more challenging. See how many you can get right!
Riddles about New Year’s Day
Easy riddles
1. What ball drops in Times Square every New Year’s Eve?
Answer: The big crystal ball.
2. What is the traditional New Year’s Day meal that features black-eyed peas for good luck?
Answer: Hoppin’ John.
3. What do people make at midnight on New Year’s for good luck in the coming year?
Answer: New Year’s resolutions.
4. During New Year’s, if you want to have good luck, what should you do when the clock strikes midnight?
Answer: Kiss someone.
5. What spirited song do people often sing at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: Auld Lang Syne.
6. What do people often wear or blow into at New Year’s Eve parties?
Answer: Party hats and noisemakers.
7. What color underwear should you wear on New Year’s for good luck in the coming year?
Answer: Yellow.
8. If you want to have good luck and prosperity in the New Year, what should you have on your plate?
Answer: Black-eyed peas or lentils.
9. What do people traditionally do at midnight on New Year’s for cleansing and renewal?
Answer: Toast with champagne.
10. What ball is dropped in Raleigh, North Carolina on New Year’s Eve?
Answer: An acorn.
Medium riddles
11. I’m a song that wishes you health, happiness, and blessing in the New Year ahead. What am I?
Answer: Auld Lang Syne.
12. I go up at midnight on New Year’s Eve and come back down a year later. What am I?
Answer: The New Year’s ball.
13. People put me on their doors on New Year’s Day for good fortune in the coming year. What am I?
Answer: A wreath.
14. You’ll need a ticket if you want to see me drop on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. What am I?
Answer: The New Year’s Eve ball.
15. Eating me is said to bring good luck and prosperity in the New Year because I swell when cooked. What am I?
Answer: Black-eyed peas.
16. For good luck, eat me with cabbage on New Year’s Day. I also represent wealth. What am I?
Answer: Pork.
17. To purify and prepare for the new year ahead, the Japanese clean their houses thoroughly at the end of December. What is this tradition called?
Answer: Osoji.
18. In Spain, as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, people traditionally eat 12 of what?
Answer: Grapes.
19. Legend says that the first person you encounter on New Year’s Day can determine your luck for the year. Who would be the luckiest person to run into?
Answer: A tall, dark-haired man.
20. In Greece, some people play cards on New Year’s Day. Which playing card would be unlucky to draw first?
Answer: The four of spades.
Challenging riddles
21. I’m worn on New Year’s Eve for good luck and thrown out the door at midnight. What am I?
Answer: An effigy.
22. People often associate me with the New Year for my two faces, one looking back at the past year and one looking ahead. What am I?
Answer: The Roman god Janus.
23. In Brazil, lentils signify wealth and prosperity, so eating me on New Year’s Eve will bring good fortune in the coming year. What am I?
Answer: Lentil soup.
24. Sweep me out the door on New Year’s Day to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. What am I?
Answer: Dirt or dust.
25. People believe that I fall from the sky into your house on New Year’s Eve as a lucky omen. However, I’m not really a plant. What am I?
Answer: Mistletoe.
26. In Germany, a lead shape of what is melted over a flame on New Year’s Eve to predict the year’s fortune?
Answer: A pig.
27. Lightly tapping someone on the back with me on New Year’s Day is thought to bring good luck in some cultures. What am I?
Answer: A broom.
28. In Italy, people wear these red underwear on New Year’s Eve to bring luck in finding love. What is it?
Answer: Red flannel underwear.
29. For good luck, eat this round cake representing the sun and coming year in Polish culture on New Year’s Day.
Answer: Chruściki cake.
30. In Peru, this yellow underwear is worn to attract prosperity and blessings in the New Year.
Answer: Yellow undergarments.
More New Year’s riddles
Food and drink riddles
31. I’m a fizzy wine often toasted with at midnight on New Year’s Eve. What am I?
Answer: Champagne.
32. Eat me with greens for prosperity on New Year’s Day. I’m a small legume known to swell when cooked.
Answer: Black-eyed peas.
33. This king cake is oval-shaped to symbolize the three kings’ journey. It’s customary to eat it from Epiphany to Mardi Gras.
Answer: King cake.
34. Coconut macaroons made in a ring shape to signify coins and good fortune in the New Year.
Answer: Kringle cookies.
35. Eating this sweet doughnut-like pastry from Scandinavia is said to bless you with a sweet year ahead.
Answer: Fyrstekake.
36. This fruit is seen as resembling coins and is eaten on New Year’s Eve for prosperity in parts of Europe and South America.
Answer: Pomegranates.
37. In the American South, this rich onion and leafy green dish is said to bless diners with fortune when eaten on New Year’s Day.
Answer: Collard greens.
38. Ring-shaped and covered in poppy seeds for prosperity, this pastry is served during New Year’s celebrations in parts of Eastern Europe.
Answer: Bublik bread.
39. This hop-forward beer gets its name from the Russian word for New Year’s Eve and is a popular choice for toasting.
Answer: Novy God beer.
40. Eating this fish whole on Danish New Year’s menus represents prosperity in the coming year.
Answer: Cod.
Symbolism and traditions
41. I shine as bright as a diamond, and Times Square revelers watch me drop each New Year’s Eve. What am I?
Answer: The New Year’s Eve ball.
42. People make them on January 1st for the upcoming year, though they’re rarely kept! What are they?
Answer: New Year’s resolutions.
43. On New Year’s Eve in Times Square I rise, reflecting a bright new year ahead as midnight arrives.
Answer: The New Year’s Eve ball.
44. Clean me out before the stroke of midnight to sweep away the old year’s troubles and sorrows.
Answer: The fireplace or chimney.
45. I’ll play “Auld Lang Syne” when Times Square rings in the new year with excitement and cheer.
Answer: A bagpipe.
46. Make lots of noise with me as the clock strikes 12 to scare off any lingering bad luck from last year!
Answer: Noisemakers.
47. People in Spain may eat 12 of these fruits at midnight while making their New Year’s wishes.
Answer: Grapes.
48. On New Year’s these people wear red flannel underwear to bring them luck in finding love.
Answer: Italians.
49. Give someone a kiss beneath me at midnight for good luck in the coming year!
Answer: Mistletoe.
50. Make lots of noise at the stroke of midnight to scare me off so I don’t bring you bad luck in the New Year!
Answer: Evil spirits.
Symbolism and traditions continued
51. In Scotland, the first person across this on New Year’s Day will have good luck.
Answer: The threshold.
52. Some believe opening these wide on New Year’s Eve lets the old year out and the new year in.
Answer: Doors and windows.
53. In Greece, some leave this out the door on New Year’s Day to get rid of the old.
Answer: An effigy or model ship.
54. I get smoked over an open flame in Germany on New Year’s Eve to tell the future’s shape. What am I?
Answer: A lead or pig figure.
55. Light one of me with every hope and dream you have for the upcoming year. I’m said to make New Year wishes come true.
Answer: A candle.
56. In parts of the American South, eating this can bring you luck, though it isn’t really a plant!
Answer: Mistletoe.
57. In China I burst with excitement, scaring evil spirits away so the new year will be prosperous.
Answer: Firecrackers.
58. On Danish New Year’s Eve tables, I’m served in round pieces to symbolize coins and good fortune.
Answer: Pork belly or cod.
59. The Japanese word for me means “forget the year.” People visit me to cleanse for the new year ahead.
Answer: A temple.
60. Celebrants place these in a wreath shape on doors to bless those within with luck in the coming year.
Answer: Holly leaves.
Word play
61. I’m a sparkling wine opened to welcome and celebrate the new year with cheer!
Answer: Cham-pagne.
62. People make them on New Year’s for the year ahead, though they rarely pan out!
Answer: Reso-lutions.
63. At New Year’s Eve parties, everyone wants to wear me upon their heads as midnight nears.
Answer: Party hats.
64. On New Year’s Day long ago, the tourney winners were awarded my leaves to crown their heads. What am I?
Answer: Laurel.
65. Placing me upon your door on December 31st invites good fortune in the coming year, it’s said.
Answer: A new year’s wreath.
66. Eating me brings luck and wealth in the New Year, so serve up my peas or lentils if you want to prosper!
Answer: Leg-ume.
67. Adding me to the menu on January 1st can bless you with luck and money, as my first 3 letters tell.
Answer: Col-lard greens.
68. Your underwear color can influence your New Year’s fortune – yellow is for blessings, red for passionate nights!
Answer: Hue or hew.
69. On New Year’s Eve in Peru, people don bright yellow hues, hoping prosperity comes soon to greet the new year too.
Answer: Wear golden under-wear.
70. For auld lang syne, my friends, we’ll drink a cup of kindness yet to celebrate the year ahead we’ll not forget.
Answer: Robert Burns or Auld Lang Syne lyrics.
Word play continued
71. As midnight nears round the globe, New Year’s revelers don these, so no evil spirits can probe.
Answer: Party hats.
72. Eating this Russian pastry means your wallet will burst in the new year – just don’t eat enough to make you sick!
Answer: Bublik bread.
73. In Scotland, the first footer through the door after midnight will have luck galore!
Answer: Threshold.
74. On New Year’s Day, open doors and windows wide – let the old year leave, and new year inside!
Answer: Let the old out and new in.
75. Pork and sauerkraut is for good fortune, they say – but save room for this treat made of dough fried in oil, yay!
Answer: Donuts or paczki.
76. For newlywed bliss kiss your sweetheart at the strike of twelve – beneath this white romantic, storybook plant you adore so well.
Answer: Mistletoe.
77. Make them on January first for the year ahead, though you’ll likely break them, it’s commonly said!
Answer: Resolutions.
78. In Times Square I brightly shine as the countdown crosses the line – I glitter and sparkle right on time!
Answer: New Year’s Eve ball.
79. In Spain they say eat twelve grapes – one for each chime, that leads to a year filled with cheer sublime!
Answer: Twelve grapes at midnight in Spain.
80. On New Year’s Eve in Denmark, feast on this thick, round fish – good fortune it shall dish!
Answer: Cod or pork belly.
Symbolism and traditions continued
81. I’m tossed out the back door on New Year’s morn, to bid the old year farewell, tattered and torn.
Answer: Effigy or old year representation.
82. Pork and sauerkraut, they say, will line your pockets with dollars someday. Cabbage brings green, pork brings mean!
Answer: New Year’s Day traditional meal.
83. A kiss at midnight is sure to delight under mistletoe berries of purest white!
Answer: Kiss under the mistletoe at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
84. Make lots of racket and noise, bang some pots and pans! Evil spirits will then avoid your household lands!
Answer: Make noise at midnight on New Year’s Eve.
85. Whether enjoyed in France, Spain or Germany, grapes are considered good luck currency!
Answer: Eating grapes on New Year’s Eve.
Conclusion
There you have it – 85 riddles about New Year’s Day traditions, symbols, food, and more! From easy to challenging, these riddles cover a wide range of topics related to ringing in the new year. How many were you able to answer correctly? Riddles are not only fun, but they help exercise your mind as you solve the word puzzles. Use these New Year’s riddles to test your knowledge or challenge friends and family to see who can get the most right.
