Today, on the first of December, is the perfect moment to explore the ritual of blowing cinnamon through your front door to welcome prosperity for the month ahead.​ After all, December is the month many of us closely associate with baking, the cozy scent of cinnamon, and feelings of generosity, warmth, and abundance.


Blowing cinnamon through your front door on the first of the month has become a cozy little ritual that sits at the crossroads of psychology, science, and folklore. It doesn’t require believing cinnamon will literally bring money; rather, the magic is in the intention, the pause, and the warm, spicy scent that invites a soft reset into your home and mind.​

What the cinnamon ritual is

On the first day of a new month, stand at your front door, take a small pinch of ground cinnamon, set an intention for prosperity or a fresh start, and gently blow the spice inward. Many spiritual communities see the doorway as the energetic mouth of the house, so sending cinnamon inside symbolizes inviting warmth, abundance, and good opportunities to cross your threshold. While this exact ritual is a modern take, it draws on centuries-old traditions of using herbs and spices to bless spaces and attract luck, especially in kitchen and folk magic practices.​

Thge science and psychology behind it

From a modern, science-focused perspective, the real power is in the intention-setting. Rituals like this help focus your mind, create motivation, and emotionally prepare you for your goals. It's like reminding your brain to take a psychological reset. Cinnamon’s warm scent enhances this effect, as studies show its aroma can boost mood, comfort, and concentration, creating a sensory backdrop that nurtures clarity and calm.​

Honoring folklore and culture

This ritual connects us to a wide thread of folklore where fragrant herbs and spices symbolize prosperity and protection. While the specific “first of the month cinnamon blowing” is recent and modern, it taps into the human tradition of turning everyday kitchen spices into markers of meaning and new beginnings, bridging past and present with a touch of magic.​

Safety and alternatives

Because cinnamon powder can irritate lungs and pose risks to pets and children, it’s smart to take precautions.

If you love the feeling of the ritual but want a safer twist, there are plenty of abundance-friendly alternatives that honor both your inner folklorist and your inner scientist. You might:​

  • Use cinnamon sticks in a simmer pot with citrus peels and cloves, letting the steam carry that cozy scent through your home without sending fine particles into the air.​
  • Create a doorway “prosperity corner” with a small dish of coins, bay leaves, or tumbled stones associated with abundance, and refresh or rearrange it on the first of each month while you speak your intentions.​
  • Make a light room spray with water and a small amount of safe fragrance or hydrosol, then spritz the threshold as you visualize opportunities and good experiences flowing in, taking care to choose ingredients that are safe for the humans and animals in your space.​
  • Skip physical ingredients entirely and do a visualization-only ritual at the door: breathe deeply, imagine light sweeping through your home, and mentally set your goals for the month.

No matter the method, the heart of the ritual is the same: pausing to breathe, grounding yourself, and intentionally inviting abundance in a way that harmonizes science, tradition, and sensory comfort. Today, as cinnamon scent fills homes with warmth and generosity, this ritual is a gentle invitation to carry that feeling into the coming month.