Dec 5th was my Grandmother’s birthday – well, it would have been and she would have been 107 years old. She’s been gone over 40 years, but the things she taught me are with me to this day.

My grandmother and her two daughters, my mother and aunt, were resettled after WWII. They came from a part of Germany called Sudetenland, named after the Sudeten Mountains. Today, this region is part of Czechoslovakia. And like all people and all regions, the Sudetenland had its own customs and traditions.

Those customs and traditions were passed on to me by my grandmother and my mother. One of the traditions my grandmother felt particularly strong about was preparing to “ring in the New Year”. She always prepared herself, her family and her space for the New Year.

For her that meant everything had to be in top shape. Some of her preparations included: fresh sheets on the beds, a spotless aired out and clutter free house (the house was always clean anyway), no laundry allowed to cross the 12:00PM threshold and no dishes left to do.

Even though my grandmother, in all likeliness, had never heard of feng shui, intuitively she understood the value of energetically preparing her space. She cleaned, decluttered and prepared to move out the old to make room for new things and experiences to come into her life.

The first day of the New Year was a serious holiday for her; a time to celebrate with family, special meals and relaxation. As a child (and teenager) I often “rolled my eyes” about all these silly rituals and traditions. But today, I understand.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year
Johanna