sweeping out the bad luck on New Year's Eve

Noelia's grandmother rang from Chile and told her she should follow Chilean tradition by sweeping all the bad luck out of the house on New Year's Eve to ensure that 2013 is a good year. To be doubly sure, she added the Japanese tradition (care of my Japanese grandmother) of spreading beans on the floor to make the bad spirits slip and make them unable to getcha. No beans on hand, so red lentils were substituted.