We're so close to the end of 2017, I can practically taste it. As excited as I am to put this hellish year behind me, there's one obstacle I'll have to face before that can happen: the winter solstice, which happens on Thursday, Dec. 21. It marks the first day of winter in the U.S., and it's also the shortest day of the year. Unfortunately for all of us, the winter solstice is the unluckiest day in 2017, according to astrologers. Basically, things are going to get much worse before they get any better. According to astrologer Susan Miller, it will be "a difficult, depressing day." She even says she considered not telling her readers because of how bad things may be. Things you shouldn't do on the Winter Solstice this year run the gamut from things you would normally avoid during Mercury retrograde, to some things you would never expect, so it's best to be prepared going into this day of badness.
Given how unlucky this year has felt, I find it hard to believe that life could get significantly worse, but astrologists are seriously convincing me that Dec. 21 will be awful. According to astrologer Neil Spencer, it's all due to the sun moving into Capricorn hours after Saturn does, which happens once every 350 years. You should stay calm even though the stars aren't exactly aligning in our favor. If you avoid any unnecessary risks on Dec. 21, you'll get through the winter solstice just fine. Here are 14 things you should really, seriously avoid doing on the Winter Solstice.
1Travel
This is a hard one because you may want to head home for the holidays, but traveling can be risky because it's such an unlucky day.
2Sign Contracts
Even if you aren't often signing business deals, you still deal with contracts. Things as simple and straightforward as a cellphone contract should be avoided on Dec. 21.
3Make Big Purchases
This is a toughie, especially because Dec. 21 is expected to be one of the busiest shopping days in 2017. But do you really want to make an investment on the unluckiest day of the year?
4Buy Electronics
Have you ever bought an electronic device and immediately had issues? It's one of the most annoying things, which is why you should just wait a day or so to get a new phone.
5Propose
What could be more memorable than a proposal? Nothing, unless your proposal goes horribly wrong thanks to the Winter Solstice. You've been warned.
6Accept A Job Offer
Making any sort of agreement on an unlucky day is risky, and you could be setting yourself up for failure if you accept a job offer on Dec. 21.
7Plan For 2018
You want the year ahead to be filled with good things, and you may be tempted to make grand plans for the future. Starting to plan on an unlucky day can get things off to a not-great start, though.
8Ask For A Raise
Asking for a raise is already a terrifying prospect, especially when you aren't sure if your boss will laugh in your face. You'll want luck on your side, and you won't be able to count on luck on the winter solstice.
9Schedule Home Repairs
Please don't ignore an overflowing toilet or broken heater, but Dec. 21 probably isn't an ideal day to climb ladders or work on your chimney.
10Make Big Life Decisions
I'm impulsive to a fault, but I'm going to try to restrain myself on Dec. 21 — any major life decisions I make could be tainted.
11Sign A Lease
We've already covered contracts, but I'd also avoid signing a lease on Dec. 21. You may end up with an awful landlord or noisy roommate if you aren't careful.
12Book A Trip
We already know that you should avoid traveling, but it's also smart to delay vacation planning. It's the unluckiest day of the year, and you don't want to get your trip off to a bad start.
13Break Up With Your Partner
If your significant other is mistreating you or just generally a terrible person, go ahead and break their heart without any second thoughts. But if you're waffling on whether you should dump your partner, it may be a good idea to wait a day.
14Take Any Risks
You may have noticed a theme here — basically, taking any risks or deviating from your routine at all isn't advisable on the winter solstice. Susan Miller says it may take a day or two for things to feel normal again, but we'll all get through it. If you need me on Dec. 21, you'll find me huddled under my bedsheets counting down until midnight.
