At the end of the year, people not only clean their homes but also “clean their luck.” In traditional belief, bad luck accumulates throughout the year, and if it is not released, it may carry over into the new year, weighing down one’s spirit and slowing down work and progress. Among the many ways passed down to dispel bad luck, salt and water are two inexpensive, easy-to-find items that carry deep symbolic meaning.

Below are three folk practices using salt and water, commonly performed during the final days of the lunar year, before New Year’s Eve.

---

1. Scattering salt at the front door to cut off bad luck

According to traditional beliefs, salt has strong purifying and cleansing properties. Toward the end of the year, people often take a small handful of coarse salt and, standing inside the house, scatter it outward through the main door. This action symbolizes pushing out misfortune and negative energy that has accumulated in the home over the past year.

Salt is believed to disinfect and cleanse, helping to remove impurities.
This ritual is usually done in the late afternoon or evening, before the final round of house cleaning. Only a thin layer of salt is scattered—no need for a large amount—mainly at the doorstep and along the entrance path. Elders advised not to look back while scattering the salt, as turning back is thought to reflect hesitation or attachment to past troubles.

Afterward, the salt is left overnight and swept away the next morning. Folk belief holds that during the night, the salt absorbs negative energy, and sweeping it away symbolizes sending bad luck out of the house, clearing the way for a lighter and smoother new year.

---

2. Using salt water to wash hands or bathe to dispel personal misfortune

Not only living spaces, but people themselves are believed to need cleansing. A simple method passed down is to mix a bowl of clean water with a small pinch of salt, then use it to wash the hands on the last day of the year, or prepare a light salt-water bath. Water symbolizes purification, while salt represents protection.

When washing, one gently rubs the palms together and lets the water flow naturally, without elaborate rituals. What matters most is a calm mindset—treating this act as a way to wash away irritation, failures, and worries of the past year. Traditionally, it was said that “the hands work and the hands carry burdens,” so washing hands at year’s end symbolizes letting go of what did not go well.

After washing with salt water, it is advised not to rinse immediately with plain water. Letting the hands dry naturally for a few minutes is believed to help retain “clean energy” and reduce bad luck before entering the new year.

---

3. Placing a bowl of salt water in the house to absorb negative energy

Another commonly practiced method is placing a bowl of salt water inside the house during the final days of the year. The bowl is usually set in a corner, near the entrance, or in a shared living area. Dissolved salt in water is believed to absorb negative energy and rebalance the home’s energy field.

Elders advised against using cracked or broken bowls and against covering the bowl, allowing the salt and water to “work” naturally. The bowl is typically left overnight or for up to 24 hours, then discarded. When disposing of it, people avoid pouring it down an indoor sink; instead, they take it outside, symbolizing sending bad luck out of the living space.

Notably, after some time, the salt water may appear cloudy or leave residue. Folk belief interprets this as a sign that negative energy has been absorbed. Whether one believes it or not, the practice often brings a sense of reassurance and mental lightness, fitting well with the spirit of reflecting on and closing out the old year.

---

Things the elders warned to avoid when using salt and water

The salt used for dispelling bad luck should be clean and dry; damp, moldy, or impure salt should not be used. The water should be clean as well, not leftover or dirty water. Traditionally, items used for purification were believed to be effective only if they were “pure” themselves.

When scattering salt or placing a bowl of salt water, one should avoid complaining, blaming, or recounting misfortunes. Folk belief holds that words spoken at this time can “seal one’s luck,” and negative speech may keep unwanted things from leaving.

After performing these rituals, one should not go back to collect the salt, check the bowl, or discuss the process excessively. Traditional wisdom emphasizes that once you release something, you let it go—no holding on, no attachment, no curiosity about the outcome.

---

Why did people in the past consider salt and water important at year’s end?

Salt and water have been essential to daily life since ancient times. In folk belief, salt carries positive (yang) energy, offering protection and warding off negativity, while water carries negative (yin) energy, helping to cleanse, soothe, and wash things away. Together, they symbolize balance.

The end of the year is a transitional period between old and new, when people are especially sensitive to fortune and energy. Simple rituals involving salt and water are not only spiritual in meaning but also psychologically grounding, helping people feel that they have truly “closed the book” on the past year.

Elders emphasized that these practices were not meant to promote superstition, but to remind people to let go. When the heart feels lighter and the mind clearer, new opportunities can more easily arrive. From any perspective, these end-of-year rituals using salt and water remain a meaningful cultural tradition worth preserving.