New Year’s Traditions!

Hello Everyone, I’m finally on the road to recovery (Amen) I won’t go into the specifics (don’t want to put that image in your mind).

Todays post is about traditions on New Years around the world, there might be some that you would like to take upon yourself!

50 New Year’s Traditions:

Japan

Buddhist temples across the country herald in the new year by ringing their bells 108 times – one for each of the human sins in Buddhist belief. Many Japanese people believe the act cleanses them of the previous year’s sins.

 

China

Many Chinese people will paint their front door red as a symbol of happiness and good fortune. They may also choose to hide their knives so that nobody cuts themselves, as it is thought cutting could impact on the luck of the entire family for the coming year.

Philippines

Circles have long been considered sacred in the Philippines; as such they feature heavily in New Year with people wearing polka dots, eating round fruits and tossing coins into pans. It is believed these practices will bring prosperity.

Siberia

In Siberia and Russia it is tradition to dive into a frozen lake whilst holding a tree trunk, which is placed underneath the ice.

 

Burma

The traditional Thingyan festival involves people splashing water on one another in order to start the new year with a purified soul.

Singapore

 

Every year wishing spheres containing people’s hopes for the new year are released onto the Singapore River. The wishes are written on the white spheres and people come from all over the world to take part.

Armenia 

Armenian mothers bake special bread which they knead for luck and good wishes into.

 

 

 

Russia

Russians write down a wish, burn it and then throw it into a champagne glass. They then must drink the champagne before 12.01.

 

 

Belarus

 

New Year traditions see unmarried women play games to determine which of them will marry in the coming year. One of the games relies on a rooster to choose from piles of corn in front of the women, whoever the pile belongs to will be first to wed.

 

 

Greece

An onion is traditionally hung from the front door of a house on New Year’s Eve, as a symbol of rebirth for the coming year. Parents then wake their children the next morning by tapping them on the head with the onion.

Finland 

The practice of casting tin is popular amongst the Finnish and involves melting down tin before pouring it into a bucket of cold water. Once the tin has turned solid again in the shadow it casts is used as the basis of predictions for the year ahead.

Estonia

Traditionally, New Year’s Day involves Estonians trying to eat seven, nine or twelve times, as they are all lucky numbers. The more they eat, the more plentiful food will be in the coming year.

 

 

Romania

  Romanian farmers try to communicate with their animals on New Year’s Eve, if they are successful, it is believed they will have good luck for the next year…

 

 

 

South Africa

Residents in Johannesburg, party hard by throwing old appliances out of the window, representing the adage ‘out with the old and in with the new’.

 

 

 

Turkey

As the bells ring in the new year, it is traditional to open your front door and sprinkle salt on the doorstep. The act is thought to bring peace and abundance to your home or business.

 

Czech Republic

The Czech believe it is possible to predict what the coming year has in store, by cutting an apple in half and looking at the shape of its core.

 

 

Belgium

On 1st January, Belgian children read ‘New Year’s letters’ to their parents or godparents, which they will have made at school and decorated with traditional motifs of cherubs, angels, roses and ribbon.

 

 

Austria

 

Austrians see pigs as a symbol of good luck; as such they celebrate New Year by feasting on suckling pigs and giving gifts of marzipan or chocolate pigs.

 

Denmark

Dane’s like nothing more than seeing in the new year by smashing plates on their neighbour’s doorstep. The more broken crockery at your door, the better your luck for the coming year.

 

 

France

For many, the new year is ushered in by eating a stack of crepes. While some opt for the tradition of kissing beneath mistletoe as the clock strikes midnight.

 

 

Germany

Many Germans will welcome in the new year by eating a donut filled with jam or liquor, called ‘Pfannkuchens’. However, as a practical joke some donuts are given a different filling, such as mustard – if you eat one of these it is seen as bad luck.

 

 

Italy

Wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve is thought to bring love, prosperity and good luck.

 

 

 

   Italy

In Venice, people gather in St Mark’s Square to see in the new with a mass kissing session. That’s one way to create fireworks!

 

Hungary

 

On New Year’s Eve, Budapest’s Time Wheel runs out, it is then mechanically rotated so that the sand can run through it for another year.

 

Macedonia

 

Macedonians celebrate a second New Year’s Eve on 14th January, according to the Macedonian Orthodox Calendar. On this day children receive presents from relatives – lucky things!

Norway

 

A desert called ‘kransekage’ is eaten to celebrate the new year in Norway and Denmark. Traditionally a tall cake of many layers, it is made with marzipan and decorated with flags and features a bottle of wine in the centre. Mmm.

 

Spain

 

Many Spanish and Latin-American people eat 12 grapes in time with the twelve chimes of the clock at midnight, a tradition which is said to secure them a happy year to come.

England

 

The tradition of kissing at midnight stems back to old English and German folklore. It is said that a midnight smooch will set the tone of your relationship for the coming year – so pucker up!

 

Netherlands

 

To purge the old and welcome in the new, bonfires of Christmas trees are burnt and fireworks are let off.

 

 

Switzerland

 

It is tradition to drop a dollop of cream on the floor on New Year’s Day to bring luck and a rich year.

 

 

United Kingdom

 

 

After midnight, people in the UK and other English-speaking countries often join hands in a circle and sing ‘Auld Lang Sang’, a poem written by Scottish poet Robert Burns.

 

Iceland

 

Iceland has whole host of magical traditions that are said to take place on New Year’s Eve, such as cows being able to talk, seals talking on human form, the dead rising from their graves and elves moving house.

Ireland

 

 

In the hope that the new year will bring them a husband, some single women place mistletoe under their pillows. Meanwhile some people bang bread against the wall to drive away evil spirits.

 

Portugal

 

In northern parts of the country it’s not unusual for children to go door-to-door singing carols or ‘janeiros’, which are said to bring good luck. In exchange they are given coins and treats.

 

Scotland

 

 

Known as ‘Hogmanay’, New Year involves the tradition of ‘first footing’ – where the first person to cross the threshold into a house after midnight brings luck with them. The luckiest guest to receive is a dark male with a gift of coal.

Brazil

 

Every year thousands of Brazilians throw white flowers into the ocean as an offering to the Goddess of the Sea in the hope that she’ll make their wishes for the next year come true.

 

Puerto Rico

 

At the stroke of midnight some people drop backwards into breaking waves. Water also features in Puerto Rican tradition  which involves people throwing pails of water out of their windows to chase away evil spirits.

 

Bahamas

 

The traditional New Year’s Day Junkanoo parade sees people don elaborate costumes they’ve spent months creating, with the best ones winning prizes.

 

 

Canada

 

Known as the Polar Bear Swim, the tradition started in 1920 and involves people jumping into freezing waters of The English Bay on New Year’s Day.

 

 

Argentina

It is thought that wearing pink underwear will attract love in the new year. While eating beans will help you either keep your current job or find a better one.

 

Chile

A new tradition was started in Chile when a family from Talca broke into a graveyard to see in the new year with their deceased relative. Nowadays, the mayor of the town opens the graveyard after mass so others can do the same.

 

 

Bolivia

 

Bolivians believe that wearing bright yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve will increase their fortune for year to come.

 

 

Colombia

 

In the hope of having a travel-filled year ahead of them, Colombians carry a suitcase around with them on 31st December.

Ecuador

 

New Year in Ecuador is celebrated by th burning of effigies, along with photographs from the past year. Men sometimes dress up as women to represent the widows of the past year.

 

New York

 

Since 1907, thousands of people have gathered in Times Square every New Year’s Eve to watch the New Year’s ball drop; its minute descent starting at 11.59.

 

 

North Carolina

 

Despite protests by PETA, people of Brasstown participate in a traditional New Year ‘possum drop’, which does exactly what it says on the tin…

 

Panama

 

Effigies politicians and other famous people are burnt to mark the end of one year and to ward off evil spirits for the approaching year.

Peru

 

In one Peruvian village people see out the year with a good old-fashioned fist fight to settle their differences. They can wipe the slate clean for the new year.

 

Southern States

 

 

It’s traditional to eat a stew made from black-eyed peas, which are said to symbolise coins. Therefore eating them will bring prosperity for the new year.

Mexico

 

 

On New Year’s Eve, many Mexicans decorate their homes in different colours, each representative of their hopes for the new year. Red is for love, yellow is for work and green is for money.

 

Happy New Year everybody!