Choose a Wax Shape and Wish for New Year Success / 🇩🇪 Germany

A little piece of wax cools into a shape no one at the table has planned. Turn it to one side and you might see a sail. Turn it again and it could look like a leaf. At a German New Year gathering, guessing what such shapes resemble is part of the fun of Wachsgießen. Pick the detail that catches your eye and turn it into a wish for the months ahead. A sail might make you think of taking a trip you have put off. A leaf might stand for something you want to grow. Hearing what everyone sees is as enjoyable as choosing your own wish.

1. Put a bowl of cold water on a steady, clear surface. Ask an adult to handle the kit and follow its directions for heating the small piece of wax.
2. Let the adult pour the wax into the water as directed. Give it time to cool and lift out the shape only once it has hardened.
3. Hold it against the light and turn it slowly. Say the first thing it reminds you of. Invite someone else to take a look before you settle on your own idea.
4. Choose one wish that connects with the shape. Write a small step you could take towards it in the first week of the year. Keep the note where you will see it again.

The German name joins Wachs, wax, to gießen, to pour. The custom follows the pattern of an older New Year game in which poured material hardened in water and the resulting shape was interpreted. Wax is the version that gives this gathering its name. People can take turns casting pieces and comparing how they look from different angles. One little bump can become the nose of a fish to one person and the bow of a boat to another. The pleasure is in the reveal and in hearing how another guest sees the same piece. You can keep the shape beside your written wish to remember what the group saw in it.