In short: On the last day of the year, write down everything you’d like to leave behind: the thoughts, habits and ways of relating that weigh on you. Fold the paper into a small bundle of dried sage and burn it safely, in a fireplace or in a metal container in your sink, before midnight. It takes half an hour, and it lets you walk into the new year lighter.
It’s the afternoon of the thirty-first. There’s something in the oven, a dress or a shirt hanging on the wardrobe door, and a list of things still to do before the guests arrive or before you leave. In the middle of all this, a thought passes: another year, already. And with it, a few things you’d really prefer not to take with you. The worry that kept you awake. The habit you promised yourself you’d change. The sentence you keep saying to yourself when things go wrong.
As the year closes, it’s natural to look back over the past twelve months and to ask what you’d like to leave behind. Whether it’s negative thoughts, habits or relationships, there is always something you can let go of to make room for growth and change. One simple and powerful way to do it is a small end-of-year ritual.
Why mark the end of the year with a ritual?
You could, of course, simply decide in your head that the year is over. But deciding in your head rarely feels like much. A ritual gives the decision a shape. You sit down, you write, you fold, you watch the paper burn. Your hands do something, your eyes see it, and you know that it has happened.
Writing matters for the same reason. As long as a worry stays in your mind, it goes round and round. Once it’s on paper, it has edges. You can look at it, and you can put it down.
What do you need?
A sheet of paper and a pen
A small bundle of dried sage
Matches or a lighter
A fireplace, or a metal container you can place in your kitchen sink
Half an hour to yourself
The New Year’s Eve ritual, step by step
1. Write your list
Take your piece of paper and write down everything you want to leave behind in the year that is ending. This could include negative thoughts or beliefs, unhealthy habits, or relationships that harm you. Be as specific as you can, and don’t hold back. It’s essential to be honest about what you want to release. Nobody will read this list but you.
“Being too hard on myself” is a start. “Telling myself I’m useless every time I forget something” is better, because you’ll recognise it the next time it turns up.
2. Fold the paper into the sage
Once you’ve finished your list, fold the paper and place it inside the bundle of dried sage. Sage has long been used for cleansing and purifying, and this small gesture is a symbolic way of clearing the air and preparing yourself for the new year.
3. Burn it, safely
If you have a fireplace, burn your paper there. If you don’t, burn it in a metal container placed in your kitchen sink. Take every precaution: keep the tap within reach, move tea towels and anything else that could catch fire well away, tie your hair back, and stay with it until everything is cold. If you live with a smoke alarm just above the kitchen, open a window first.
As the paper burns, think about what you’re releasing. Imagine each thing leaving, and the space it leaves behind for new and happier experiences in the coming year.
I made a short video about this, you can watch it below.
When is the best moment to do it?
Ideally, do this ritual on the thirty-first of December, before midnight. If you’re going to a party or you’re invited somewhere, you can still do it before you leave. Simply give yourself enough time to do it mindfully, without one eye on the clock.
I recommend writing your list before you start getting ready for the evening. That way you can give the ritual your whole attention, and you arrive at the celebration already lighter.
What if you don’t know what to write?
Sit quietly for a minute and let the year pass in front of you, month by month. Then try these questions:
What did I say to myself this year that I would never say to a friend?
Which habit left me more tired than before, every time?
What did I keep saying yes to, when I wanted to say no?
Which worry took up a lot of room and changed nothing?
What am I still angry about, and am I ready to put it down?
If hard words about yourself fill most of the page, you may like to read about moving from self-criticism to self-love. And if you find it difficult to stop something you’ve invested a lot in, I wrote about that in the need to let go.
And what comes after letting go?
An empty space, and that’s the point. You’ve made room. The first of January is a good day to decide what you’d like to put there.
One way is to write a letter from your future self: you imagine yourself one year from now and tell the story of the year as if it had already gone well. If you prefer pictures to words, you could make a vision board. And if what you’d like most is to feel better in your body, start with a clear vision for your health, then look at how to achieve your health goals one step at a time.
You could also end the evening with a few words of thanks for what the year did give you. Gratitude changes how you look at things, and it sits well beside letting go.
So take a piece of paper, write your list, and let go of everything that no longer serves you. Happy New Year!
Frequently asked questions
What do I need for this ritual?
A sheet of paper, a pen, a small bundle of dried sage if you have one, matches, and a safe place to burn the paper: a fireplace, or a metal container placed in your kitchen sink.
When should I do it?
Ideally on the thirty-first of December, before midnight. If you are going out, do it before you start getting ready, so you have time to do it calmly.
What if I do not have sage or a fireplace?
The sage is a lovely addition, but the ritual works without it. Without a fireplace, burn the paper in a metal container in the sink, close to the tap. If you would rather not use fire at all, tear the paper into small pieces and throw them away.
What should I write on my list?
Anything you do not want to carry into the new year: a thought you keep repeating to yourself, a habit that does you no good, a way of relating to someone that hurts you. Be specific and honest. Nobody else will read it.
Can I do this at another time of year?
Yes. The end of the year is a natural moment, but you can do the same thing on a birthday, at the change of season, or on any evening when you feel ready to put something down.
Would you like some help?
Many lists written on New Year’s Eve include a habit around food, sleep or stress that has outstayed its welcome. Replacing those habits with kinder ones is what we do together in my group programmes in nutrition and health, such as Six Tuesdays in Montignac. If you’d like to know when the next group begins, write to me at hello@catherinepolet.coach.
Would you rather work one to one? I also coach online. Book a free 20-minute call, and tell me what you’ve decided to leave behind. We can look together at what you’d like to put in its place.
About Catherine
I’m Catherine Polet, a holistic nutrition health coach, yoga and autogenic training teacher for more than 30 years, author and speaker. I help people find a way of eating and living that suits their own body, online in English, French, Spanish and German, and in person in Southwest France.
