New Year’s traditions around the world

By Mari Lopez - 16 December 2015

What are your New Year’s traditions like?

It’s that time of year again, it’s time to set up a piñata dressed in men’s clothing and fill it with lit firecrackers. The piñata is set on fire 15 minutes before the clock strikes 12 at midnight.

In Mexico, it’s our way of saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming in the new one. It’s just one of the many traditions we have, along with eating grapes, placing sheep ornaments around the house and wearing red underwear.

The world is filled with different traditions for everything, and if you’re lucky enough to be living abroad, you might enjoy discovering these cultural differences. Here are some fun – and somewhat unusual – traditions from around the world.

Get rid of your old furniture: talk about unusual! The South African capital of Johannesburg says goodbye to the old year by throwing old furniture out the window - keeping pedestrians on their toes! This is supposed to bring good luck for the new year. Never did the phrase “out with the old, in with the new” fit more perfectly.
Run, Forrest, Run: if your New Year’s resolution is to travel more, you might want to give this fun tradition a try. Some Latin American countries believe that by running around the block with an empty suitcase you will enjoy a new year filled with travels. The tradition goes that the faster you run, the more travels you will embark on.
Sleep with the dead: if your idea of a “happy new year” involves sleeping in a cemetery, you should be on a plane to Chile. The tradition sees entire families sleeping in a cemetery to spend the last night of the year with their deceased loved ones. While it’s a sweet sentiment, I’d much rather be at home with the living ones.
Channel your inner Dr. Doolittle: every New Year in Romania (and some sources claim Bulgarians do it, too), farmers purposely listen to see if they can hear their animals whispering. It’s unclear what happens if you succeed as some claim it’ll bring good luck and others say it will bring misfortune; it continues to be a mystery to us. However, I believe that if you have a talking animal, you've hit the jackpot.
Colourful underwear: Do you ever think what colour underwear you should opt for New Year’s Eve? Well you should. In Italy, Spain and Latin America, the colour of your undergarment dictates what you are hoping for in the new year, for example: red for love, yellow for wealth or luck or white for peace. Some “greedy” people tend to mix it up by wearing tri-colour underwear.
Bear gifts for good luck: Scotland continues a tradition which is believed to have come from the Vikings. The tradition goes that the first guest to cross your threshold in the new year should come bearing gifts to wish you good luck for the rest of the year. If you are spending New Year’s in Scotland this year, make sure you ask whether you’ll be the first guest of the year and come prepared!
A very cold New Year: the origin of this unusual tradition is a mystery to most, but in Siberia and Russia, people (mostly professional scuba divers) jump into frozen lakes with a tree trunk, known as the “New Year’s Tree”. They should carry the tree to the bottom of the lake to “plant” it - I think I’ll pass.
Eat and don't stop: it seems that Estonia is the perfect foodie destination for the New Year’s celebration. Their tradition dictates that one should eat seven times on new year’s day to guarantee abundance for the year. It doesn't dictate the amount of food to be eaten, but if you’re anything like me, it will be whole meals within seconds.
Round is for wealth: in the Philippines, according to tradition, everything at home on the last day of the year should be round. It is widely believed that having circular objects that represent coins will bring wealth for the household in the new year.
Fight into the New Year: there’s nothing like violence to solve and settle differences, right? Well, at least that’s what people in a small Peruvian town think. At the end of December, people fist fight to settle whatever differences they might have. This is to put an end to the animosity and start the new year peacefully. Ouch!

Just like these, thousands of different traditions take place worldwide, all to welcome a new and happy year. Have you come across any funny traditions while living abroad?

[Images: Rob Chandler; Brandon Giesbrecht; Piotr Mamnaimie; Natalie Maynor; Hfossmark; Candy; Asenat29; Michal Osmenda; Tookapic; Uhuru1701; David Maiolo]

Comment

New Year’s traditions around the world

Mailchimp Form

MPU 300×250

Topics

MPU2

MPU3

Tags

Categories

About Expat Family Health