During the ritual of passing to the netherworld, the Soul Clothing required, which are indeed just old clothes, must meet certain criteria.
They should be more than a year old, and the longer worn, the better, but definitely surpassing a year. Only after completing the cycle of four seasons will the clothes have absorbed the proper essence and sedimentation, making them suitable to be used as Soul Clothing.
This is because such clothing is intended to be given to The Dead at burial, representing the concept of a full year, a cycle crossed.
In traditional beliefs, for elderly people, just making it through the New Year is like passing a difficult test. Most times, nothing significant would happen in the following year.
Scientifically speaking, the days leading up to the New Year are usually the coldest in the year, and in many places in the north, it is snowing at that time.
It is during this period that elderly people have the highest probability of falling ill.
