Unusual New Year Traditions Worldwide
In the spirit of the upcoming new year, let's take a look at some unique customs from around the world and share the plans of a few individuals.
Across the globe, people celebrate the new year with various rituals, each reflecting local beliefs in luck, prosperity, rebirth, and spiritual cleansing. For instance, in the Philippines, families display 12 round fruits on the dining table, wear polka dots, and make noise to ward off evil spirits and attract abundance. In Greece, smashing a pomegranate on the doorstep at midnight is believed to bring prosperity and fertility.
Meanwhile, in Japan, people eat toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles) on New Year's Eve to symbolize a long life, and temples ring bells 108 times to cleanse souls of earthly desires. In Germany, a tradition called Bleigießen involves melting lead and pouring it into water to predict the future, while watching the British comedy sketch “Dinner for One” on TV is another quirky tradition.
As for our friends, Person A plans to enjoy a dinner of pancakes with berries, organic sour cream, and dark chocolate, and sing the New Year's song. Person C has plans to go downtown to see a friend who is in town from Seattle and help them move into a new house, celebrating with them at their house. Person D is bundled up in bed with a glass of bubbly and a slice of cheesecake, watching Seven Samurai.
Person F will attend a candlelight service at a place that used to run a homeless mission for 15 years. Person G plans to attend a party at a local pub, and Person H has plans to watch a play and possibly hang out until the new year. Person K is preparing for a mellow night and will get beauty sleep soon.
In Scotland, participants swing large fireballs made of wire and cloth through the streets as part of a dramatic celebration that symbolizes purification and warding off evil spirits. This tradition, known as first-footing, involves being the first person to enter a home after midnight, ideally bringing gifts like coal or bread to ensure prosperity and luck for the household throughout the year.
In Denmark, Danes save unused dishes throughout the year to smash against the doors of friends and family on New Year's Eve as a symbol of friendship and good luck for the year ahead. In some areas of South Africa, residents throw old furniture out of their windows at midnight as a way to discard bad luck and make room for new beginnings.
In Brazil, people often jump over seven waves at the beach, making a wish with each jump as a way to honor the sea goddess Lemanjá and bring blessings for the new year. In Ecuador, people create effigies called "año viejo" made of old clothes and stuffed with newspaper, and set them on fire at midnight to symbolize the burning away of bad luck from the previous year.
In several South American countries, wearing specific colours of underwear on New Year's Eve is thought to influence your fate for the coming year: red for love, yellow for wealth, and white for peace.
We encourage our readers to leave a comment if they have a favourite New Year's ritual. Whether it's as simple as enjoying a special meal or as dramatic as swinging fireballs through the streets, each tradition adds to the rich tapestry of New Year's celebrations around the world.
However, not everyone celebrates New Year's Eve in the same way. Person B, for instance, does not believe in New Year's and prefers to celebrate the solstice, but does not celebrate anything.
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, let's remember to hold on to the traditions that bring us joy and make the new year a time for renewal, hope, and good fortune. Here's to a happy and prosperous new year!
- Person A's lifestyle for the new year includes enjoying a unique pancake dinner and singing the New Year's song.
- In South America, fashion-and-beauty superstition includes wearing certain colors of underwear to influence one's fate for the upcoming year.
