What is the traditional New Year's Eve midnight kiss in the United States commonly associated with?

The traditional New Year's Eve midnight kiss in the United States is commonly associated with good luck in love.

The custom is part of a broader collection of New Year's superstitions and social rituals. People who kiss at midnight are often said to be starting the new year with affection, romance, or the promise of continued closeness. The belief is cultural rather than a rule with one officially recognized origin.

Popular explanations connect the practice to European midwinter customs, including traditions involving masked gatherings and symbolic wishes for the year ahead. Its modern prominence grew through newspapers, parties, films, television, and the public countdown in Times Square.

The kiss is not universal, and many people celebrate midnight by hugging friends, raising a toast, watching fireworks, or making resolutions instead. The important distinction is that the tradition expresses a wish for romantic or interpersonal good fortune; it is not the same as the separate custom of eating particular foods for prosperity.