Ignite Potential | Inner Change | Unleash Your Power
And Change Your Life without Any Resolution
💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟💖✨🌟💖
Happy New Year, Dear Friends!
Warm hugs and deepest thanks for joining me on this magical adventure.
Recently, after reaching the milestone of 5K followers, I discovered that some of us disappeared.
So, I took the time to reconnect — looking for you, reading your stories, and connecting with your thoughts. Along the journey, I rediscovered many of you and your wonderful creativity while discovering new, talented writers who also inspired me greatly.
Today, I want to share with you something very special: a gift of inspiration wrapped in old wisdom and modern magic. It’s my one-of-a-kind, life-changing method of capturing the New Year’s Spark. Imagine altering your life without resolutions or stress — only pure joy and simplicity. Using this method, I completed my priorities for 2025 in… just two weeks.
Yes, it is that powerful!
Stay with me to the end to discover the magic.
If you prefer not to be tagged in future posts, please let me know.
Sending you love, light, and my warmest wishes for an extraordinary year ahead!
With all my heart,
Julia 🌟
_______________________________
Intro
When preparing this article, I felt crushed, humble, and so… ignorant.
Why may you ask?
Well… I was writing this article to tell you more about our special traditions only to discover that I knew so little about yours.
Apparently, in our world, there are 26 New Year’s Celebrations depending on 26 different calendars. And in January, there are at least five different New Year’s Celebrations.
_______________________________
Our Julian New Year (Old Rite) Celebrated on January 14
Where?
Serbia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the Balkan countries which include Montenegro and North Macedonia. Certain Orthodox communities in Romania, Greece, and Turkey continue to use the ancient calendar.
_______________________________
Why?
Apparently, when switching from the ancient Julian Calendar to the modern Gregorian Calendar, dates were shifted by two weeks to better correspond with the solar year.
Romania was one of the latest European nations to implement this modification.
Overnight, April 1, 1919, leapfrogged to April 14, 1919 — a change that left its mark on history and traditions.
Some of us continue to celebrate two New Years and two Christmases.
And… in loving memory of my dear great-grandmother, who not only raised me but also lived through the challenges of both World Wars, gracing nearly a century of life. I hold dear the antique Julian calendar, a precious reminder of her strength, wisdom, and the incredible legacy she left behind.
_______________________________
Traditional New Year Songs
“Sorcova” and “Plugușorul” are two of the most beloved Romanian New Year’s traditions, in which children and young people move from house to house to bestow blessings (and collect cash).
“Plugușorul”’s company arrives theatrically, with bells ringing, whips cracking, and voices roaring to ward off evil spirits. It’s a symphony of turmoil that nevertheless feels celebratory.
“Sorcova”, on the other hand, is where the true humor occurs. Armed with a rod of bright flowers, children go around “blessing” others by whacking them in the New Year. Consider Halloween, but with flowers instead of costumes and many more bruises — particularly if you’re related. 😊 Some kids even treated it like an Olympic sport, trying to raise enough money for a ski trip or concert tickets.
However, I found “Sorcova” to be a bit of a cringe-fest. It felt more like begging than a blessing, except that the adults were ready to get it over with. Faces bored, wallets open, they’d virtually hurl banknotes at us, saying, “Take it, kid, and go!” “We have a Perinița to dance.” (That’s the Romanian Kiss Dance, a late-night party favorite. (But that’s another story.)
_______________________________
Sorcova (Translation by Me)
Sparkle, sparkle, joy and cheer,
Live long, and drink some beer!
Like an apple, like a pear,
Like a rose that fills the air!
Like an apple tree, so tall,
Stretching high, and feeling sprawl!
Like the vines that twist and creep,
We’ll party hard, no time for sleep!
Tough as stone,
Fast as a drone,
Strong as iron,
Sharp as a bone!
Cows that moo with lots of milk,
Sheep so fluffy, pigs in silk!
Kids so healthy, jumping high,
Running faster than a spy!
Nails on roofs, don’t miss a one,
Golden coins, let’s have some fun!
Happy New Year, filled with light,
Send us cash, we’ll spend it right!
_______________________________
Superstitions & Traditions at New Year’s
A key tradition is the idea… I found about recently… that the first guest to enter a home determines the family’s fate for the year, with dark-haired men considered good luck.
The kiss under the mistletoe is already a tradition but let us not forget the Romanian “Perinița” (Kiss Dance) I told you about.
In our family, we rarely did popular dances, but this one was always a must before the New Year party finally ended at 5 am — when most of the guests, either drunk or half-asleep, were shuffling around looking for their shoes and wondering if they were… polygamous singles or married bachelors.
OMG, I can’t remember what really happened at the Kiss Dance anyway… though that could be because of all that champagne, I was allowed to drink as a child. Hm… I vaguely remember us dancing in a circle like crazy, kneeling, and kissing each other like it was some kind of reality show elimination round. No jealousy allowed. Ha-ha. Wait, hold on, I’m just going to search this on YouTube to make sure we didn’t invent a new tradition.
Ah, now I recall… Look at that…
_______________________________
Food & Fun at New Year’s
Food is an important part of the celebrations, with traditional foods like sarmale, salată de beuf, cozonac (sweet bread), and sausages offered, frequently accompanied by a pie with a hidden coin representing good fortune. For prosperity, at midnight, our plates are filled with food, and fish is a must. As for me, I’m more of a dessert person… just give me cheese, fruit, pretzels, and cake, and I’ll be the happiest person at the party — forget the main course! To dispel negative energy, fireworks, and outdoor fires are lit, and the atmosphere is filled with noise, whip cracks, songs, and cheer.
Catching the Spark of the New Year
The Cup of Desire Blessing
- In a little clay cup, place a coin and a tiny image symbolizing your wish (a house, your love, or… success).
- Fill it with honey until it completely covers the image, representing delicious fulfillment.
- Then tie a gold or silver bracelet or something valuable around it to attract fortune.
- Leave it by the window to capture the sunset and sunrise, allowing the energies to permeate the cup.
- Cover it with a white cloth and keep it hidden, thinking about your wish frequently. The universe will eventually make it happen, trust me.
Wealth Blessing for Prosperity
- Every Monday morning, break fresh homemade bread at the entrance of your house.
- Then enter each room, dip bread in salt, and serve it with thanks.
- On certain days I enjoy eating only that — for me, it is a way of focusing on what really matters in my life.
- However, this technique brings abundance into your life, filling it with positive energy and prosperity.
Health Vitality Blessing
- To refresh your body and spirit, get up early and take fresh water from an unspoiled spring or rainwater.
- Add perfumed petals or leaves and use it to cleanse your face and hands, bringing health and vitality into your life.
- If you’d like, you might also add holy water from your church.
- This exercise connects you to the earth’s natural energy, allowing your body to reach its greatest potential.
Spark Blessing
- To ignite the New Year, take a clean pot of water and set a little candle floating on its surface, symbolizing your soul.
- As you watch the flame flicker, concentrate on your deepest desire. Close your eyes and murmur it into the water, imagining the spark of possibility igniting within you.
- With each soft ripple, feel your intention combine with the water’s flow as if the cosmos is saying, “It is done.”
- Allow the candle to burn for a bit, allowing the light to sink into the water, before extinguishing it and drinking the water to seal your intention.
- The spark is now yours to create.
And here’s something even more exciting to share:
To mark this new beginning, I published a book on January 1st!🎉 Discover the magic of transformation in Book of Love and Gossip — now available for pre-order! Details, soon.
Are you prepared to catch the spark?
It’s already inside you.
Feel it.
Claim it.
Allow it to guide you through your epic change this year.
_______________________________
Outro
In the end, I admit that most of these blessings feel natural to me.
On January 1, International New Year, I didn’t plan anything elaborate — just a simple moment of hope, a desire to reconnect with my deeper self after the stress of the pandemic.
Surprisingly, it worked.
It didn’t just work; it transformed. It somehow set things into motion.
Before I realized it, I had completed every single goal for 2025.
I know that seems crazy, like a cosmic joke, but believe me — it’s true.
Love found me and surrounded me with greater warmth than I could have dreamed.
Kindness, empathy, and thankfulness came in like a surprise party I hadn’t planned for the cosmos.
Maybe I’ve discovered the famous “flow,” or perhaps the lesson is to keep pushing harder and living bolder.
Or… who knows… maybe I’ve encountered the angels I lost last year.
Whatever it is, I’ll accept it — maybe even a second helping!
And… by the way, take a look at my new book, published on January 1st 🎉! It’s available for pre-order now:
💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟✨💖✨🌟💖✨🌟💖
To Our Wonderful Followers, and Friends,
Thank you all so much for being the heart and soul of this journey. Your unwavering support has made this community a magical place, and I’m so grateful to each and every one of you.
ALEX KIRKLAND , 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓦𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓝𝓸𝓸𝓴 , 🌹🌹 The Mantra of Love 🌅🌅 , Linda Rittenhouse , ❤️ Never Give Up❤️ Love❤️ , 🚀 🚀 Manifestations of LOVE ✅🍿 , Dorin Merticaru , The Vibe Foundation 🌱 , Chris Köpruner , HodHoda , Paul – Entrepreneurial Voyager/Founder-4 startups , Alejandro Werther , Tristan Robert Lange , Joyce Martin , Authors Retreat , Jeff Murrah, LPC, LCDC, CMNCS , Frankie Hau , Katarina Miletic , StorySculptres , The Jolly Quill , ⋖ 𝑱𝙀𝑺𝙎𝑬 𝑺𝙃𝑬𝙇𝑳𝙀𝒀 ⭃ , Ken Howe , S ESOOF SIDDIQ , Z.A. Roberts , Peter W. Collier , Dustin Arand , Darrin Atkins , Andrew Gaertner , Athena , Lisa Lauro , Mino Akhtar , M. Cole Grady , ✍️ Alexander Verbeek , Bill Mathews , Richard Bailey , Wendy Tomlinson , William P. Gerace , Martijn Vos , 🄿ixel 🄵loyd , Filza Chaudhry , Jerry Miller , Gleenobly , Andrew Rupert Crocker , Liz H , Jay Morman ,
E Humor , RhaeOfEnlightenment , Amy Ocean , Burton Voorhees , Sam Leadsom , John Pearce 🌻 , Angela W. , Timothy Agnew , Eric Warui , Lakshmi Marikumar , Written By Mo Jo Jo (Melissa LaDue) , Giuseppe Bartoli , Tereza Kleovoulou , Scott Elrod , Shivangi Tripathi , Suma Narayan , Clement Binnings , Farida Haque , Sue Banerji , Bernadette E Wallace , Lily Lum , Trisna Sunawar , Nevena Pascaleva , Paschal_the_Yobi , Sceriff , Stephan Pinkwart , Alan Yarborough , Marta Calderon, MScE , Chris Pinadella , Paulina Rau , James Mullen , Ilana Estelle Author , Josue Fiallo , AdeloVant , Lamcer31210 , Aline S. , Tim Davis , By HBN💫
Please, clap, engage, and… stay tuned for the next story…! But, most importantly, a profound thank you to each one of you. Your unwavering support has been invaluable.
If you’d like to support my projects, feel free to show some love here:
Julia Kalman 