Новогодние и рождественские традиции: первый гость и удача в новом году.

British and Manx New Year's ritual
In Scottish, Northern English, and Manx folklore, the first foot (ciad chuairt, ) is the first person to enter the home of a household on New Year's Day and is seen as a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. Similar practices are also found in Greek, Vietnamese, and Georgian new year traditions.

The origins of first footing is uncertain, although there may be a connection to the Viking Invasion of the British Isles: "This may go back to the time of Vikings when the arrival of a blond stranger at your door would be the cause of fear and alarm. "</blockquote>

In Serbian folklore, the polaznik, polažajnik, polaženik, or radovan, is the first person who visits the family on Christmas Day. Like the first foot tradition, it is expected that the visit will ensure good luck and well being for the household in the ensuing year. Often a man or boy is chosen in advance for the visit on Christmas morning. There are practices similar to first footing outside the British Isles. For example, it exists in Sweden, where having a fair skinned, blond(e) first foot is considered the highest blessing whereas darker persons are considered bad luck. In a similar Greek tradition called pothariko, also called podariko (from the root pod , or 'foot'), it is believed that the first person to enter the house on New Year's Eve brings either good or bad luck. Many households to this day keep this tradition and specially select who first enters the house. After the first foot, the lady of the house serves the guests with Christmas treats or gives them an amount of money to ensure that good luck will come in the new year. A similar tradition exists in the country of Georgia, where the person is called მეკვლე meḳvle (from კვალი ḳvali – 'footstep', 'footprint', 'trace'). In Mingrelian language, the person is called მაკუჩხური maḳučxuri (from კუჩხი ḳučxi – 'foot'); and in Svan language – მჷჭშხი məč̣šxi (from ჭიშხ č̣išx – 'foot').