Most of us are accustomed to the usual activities like writing resolutions, watching fireworks, attending countdown parties, having reunions and the like. Want to do something novel for a memorable beginning? Get inspired by what other countries and cities are doing to ring in the New Year!
Every culture has its quirks, which makes the world such an interesting place! Regardless of the different ways we all celebrate New Year, good luck and aspirations for a good year ahead form the basis of many New Year practices.
The idiom goes, “Clothes make the man”, and some believe they make the lucky man. South Americans believe wearing brightly coloured underwear past midnight helps to attract good luck for the coming year. Red underwear is recommended for those who want luck in relationships. Planning to buy Toto or 4D in the New Year? Then yellow is your choice as it attracts wealth!
For a cute and youthful outfit, go for polka dots. In the Philippines, polka dotted clothes are in fashion over the New Year. It is believed that due to their likeness in shape to coins, doing so associates one with wealth. The Filipinos even make the effort to choose round food and fruits for the dining table on this special occasion.
Indeed, food is a significant aspect of New Year traditions, and some cultures consume specific food and even device specific ways to eat them! At the stroke of midnight, the Spanish eat 12 grapes, one for each month, to symbolise good luck for the 12 months ahead. The Peruvians have a similar practice, but they eat a 13th grape to seal in the good luck.
The Norwegians and Greeks have gone one step further to turn their dining experience into a treasure hunt. In Norway, a whole almond is hidden in a rice pudding. The lucky person who gets the portion with the almond can expect a full wallet in the coming year. Meanwhile, Vasilopita, or New Year’s Bread, is cut and served at midnight in Greece. This bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden inside. Whoever receives the coin will be lucky throughout the year.
It is common knowledge that the Chinese light firecrackers to ward off evil and bad luck with noise and fire during Chinese New Year. Do you know that cultures in the West have similar practices? In a Midnight Cacophony, towns and cities come alive with sounds from sirens, car horns, party horns, church bells, drums, even utensils like pots and pans banging against each other. Once it starts up, any one is welcome to join in the din to chase away the devil. For comparable reasons, the Japanese laugh heartily after the bells toll at midnight.
A noisy and destructive New Year tradition in Denmark is the throwing of breakable crockery at friends’ doors. While this may sound horrific, the household with the largest amount of broken crockery to clear up is actually the luckiest as it suggests that they have many friends.
Prefer a peaceful New Year? Some Germans tune in to the British show “Dinner for One” at midnight, every New Year without fail. This practice has been carried out since 1972, and though its origin is unknown, the Germans do enjoy watching it, and that’s all it matters. Do you have an all-time favourite movie? Pop it in the DVD player every New Year and make it your tradition!
Making resolutions is a staple of New Year, but so many “I want to”s go unfulfilled that it is perhaps more meaningful to reflect on the faults and problems to be rid of. In Colombia, it is a popular tradition to make a dummy out of bits of old clothing belonging to each member of the household, stuffed with straw and firecrackers. Each person then writes down a fault or bad luck that they want to get rid of on a piece of paper. At midnight, the paper and the dummy are set on fire and burnt to ashes, symbolising the removal of troubles from the old year.
If you’re a tall, dark-haired and handsome man, make your friends’ New Year by visiting them with a gift. According to the Scottish belief of “First footing”, the first person who walks through your door on New Year’s Day sets the tone for the rest of the year, and several cultures believe that the best person to do so is as above. Whether this is true remains to be seen, but certainly, few people would say “no” to a looker or a gift!
There are so many more unique traditions in this whole wide world to learn about! If you plan to see more of the world in the coming year, carry a suitcase around the house at midnight. Some South Americans believe this will fulfil hopes of travelling. Carrying the suitcase for longer distances outside the house ensures that one gets to go greater distances.
Over the years, many of these traditions and superstitions have been traded, adapted and modified, intentionally or subconsciously. Now, most of them are just for fun and laughter. Whichever traditions you decide to adopt, bear in mind that New Year celebrations are all about having a good time, so be sure not to upset people around you in the process!
– This article first appeared in a lifestyle magazine as a New Year’s Day special
