Fascinating New Year Celebrations According to Countries
Diversity is an interesting intricate aspect of humankind. The world is full of diversity. Even within a culture, there are still shades of differences that distinguish one tribe from another. Interestingly, though humans are differentiated by color, size, language, culture, food, etc., beneath the differences is a uniting goal—to be human and to live. Humans do things differently, however, there seems to be a universal theme tied to these actions. An example is the unique way different countries anticipate a New Year. Though the celebrations vary, the themes are similar—a thankful heart for the fading year and renewed hope for the upcoming year.
On the eve of every 31st December, also considered New Year’s Eve, countries celebrate the New Year differently. These celebrations, though unique to a particular country, are all geared toward bidding farewell to the previous year and launching a new one. We have gathered some of these celebrations that indicate a brand-new year:
🇿🇦 Throw Away the Furniture, South Africa
Watch your head if you find yourself in the suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa, on New Year's Eve because you might get hit by furniture thrown through a window. Once the clock strikes 12 am on New Year’s Day, people in South Africa throw their old furniture—chairs, tables, electronics, and any unwanted items—through the window as a way to say goodbye to the old year. This way of celebrating signifies getting rid of the old and making space for something new.
🇳🇬 Crossover Night in Church and Fireworks, Nigeria
In Nigeria, the New Year is celebrated by Christians going to church at night and worshipping until it’s January 1 in anticipation of the New Year. This is not just regular Christian worship but one featuring songs of gratitude and thanksgiving, with the congregants shouting ‘Happy New Year’ once it clocks 12 am. The Christian worship is tagged "Crossover," signifying entering the next year, and for Nigerian Christians, there is no better way to do this than in the house of God. Though there are other religions in the country, the crossover night is more famed. Fireworks are also part of the celebration for both those who stayed in church and non-Christians.
🇪🇸 Eat 12 Grapes, Spain
For Spaniards, the New Year is ushered in by eating 12 grapes, which represent the 12 months of the year. It is believed that by munching on each grape along with the chime of the clock at 12 am, the individual unlocks prosperity, happiness, and every good heart’s desire in the coming year. This tradition is locally called “Las doce uvas de la suerte,” translating to “The Twelve Grapes of Luck.”
🇮🇹 Wear Red Underwear, Italy
Italians are saved from the hassle of deciding the right underwear to wear on New Year’s Day because, for them, the day is set aside to wear only red underwear. In Italy, wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve is believed to attract love, luck, and fertility into the incoming year. Thus, on the last day of the year until January 1, most Italians are found wearing red underwear.
🇯🇵 Bell Ringing, Japan
On New Year’s Eve, a bell is rung in a Buddhist temple 108 times, signifying the 108 worldly desires in the religion. The ringing of the bell first happens 107 times before midnight and then once after. This is a religious rite aimed at purifying the New Year.
🇨🇱 Celebrate with the Dead, Chile
While many traditions in the world symbolize hope for the New Year, this Chilean celebration is different. In Chile, the New Year is celebrated by people gathering in graveyards of their loved ones to light candles or listen to music. The tradition is carried out as a way to reconnect with and include the deceased in the New Year celebrations. In essence, the deceased continue to live on.
🇩🇰 Smash Plates or Jump from a Chair, Denmark
In Denmark, the New Year kicks off by smashing breakable plates and dumping them at the porch door of family and friends to wish them good fortune in the year ahead. If you see a huge pile of broken plates at your door, do not be angry—it’s not a mess but rather an omen that you are loved or received more wishes. Thus, most Danes save their unwanted plates and crockery for this fun activity. Another custom for Danes is that they jump off a chair as a leap into the New Year.
🇧🇷 Throw Flowers and Candles into the Ocean, Brazil
Brazilians mark the beginning of a New Year by throwing flowers and candles into the ocean on the eve. To perform this religious rite in worship of Yemoja, the goddess of the sea, Brazilians dress in all white. Aside from worshipping Yemoja, the rite is also dedicated to seeking blessings.
🇬🇷 Hanging Onions, Greece
In Greece, after returning from the New Year’s Day church service, people hang onions at their doors as a way of inviting good health, fertility, and longevity in the New Year. The species of onion used is known as Crete, a type that continues to grow even when uprooted, signifying resilience amidst the challenges that may come in the New Year.
🇨🇴 Circle Around with an Empty Travel Box, Colombia
This way of celebrating is specific to a particular desire—travel and adventure. Colombians believe that by running in circles with an empty travel box in their home or street just after the clock strikes midnight, they are sure to witness a New Year filled with multiple travel trips.
References
https://funtimesmagazine.com/unique-new-years-eve-traditions-around-the-world/ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/8-fascinating-new-years-eve-traditions-followed-across-the-globe/articleshow/116833063.cms https://www.insightguides.com/inspire-me/blog/weird-new-years-eve-traditions-from-around-the-world