New Year Traditions & Celebrations Around the World (#148)

The marking of a New Year is an age-old tradition around the world — food, fireworks and reflection with friends and family are common threads, but ultimately this varies between different calendars, religions and cultures. While the Gregorian calendar (introduced through Christianity) has mostly been skewed in the western world to take centre stage, the lunar and solar calendars are acknowledged in some celebrations too (as mentioned in our previous Lunar New Year episode) marking a time to take stock of the year gone and greet the year ahead with gratitude and goodwill. 

So whether you’re ringing in New Year’s Eve from some exciting foreign country or at home with family and friends, you probably have a New Year’s tradition or two. 

One of the most popular ways to celebrate seeing in the New Year is with big fireworks displays. These take place all over the world, as different countries hit midnight.

Here in England, we have the traditional fireworks display all along the River Thames. In New Zealand, Auckland Sky Tower is usually part of an impressive fireworks display, and the same happens in Sydney Harbour in Australia. In Toronto in Canada, it's in Nathan Phillips Square, while in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, it's the city's famous Copacabana beach where the sky is lit up by fireworks.

But around the world, cultures welcome the change of the calendar with unique New Year’s traditions of their own. The calendar of when/what day new year is celebrated around the world is going to be a whole mini-sode in itself over on our Patreon (because it’s not on January 1st for everyone, don’t you know) but for today’s episode we’re going to focus on the traditions. Here, we round up some of the ways the New Year is called in around the world.

Spain

In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes – one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve/Nochevieja - each grape represents good luck for one month of the coming year - it's harder than it sounds (people even practice for it). The tradition of las doce uvas de la suerte started in the late 19th century and, if you’re successful, is believed to ward off evil while boosting your chances of a prosperous and lucky new year. However, this will work only if you manage to eat all of the grapes in a matter of seconds since they need to be gone by the time the clock finishes striking midnight. In bigger cities like Puerta del Sol in Madrid, and Barcelona, people gather in main squares to eat their grapes together and pass around bottles of cava. It turns into a big party or head out to dance until the early hours of the morning at one of the city's clubs.

Colombia

On New Year’s Eve, Colombian households have a tradition, called agüero, of placing three potatoes under each family member’s bed—one peeled, one not, and the last one only partially. At midnight each person grabs for one with eyes closed and depending on the potato they select, can either expect a year of good fortune, financial struggle, or a mix of both. Another tradition is that, in hopes of a travel-filled or adventurous new year, residents of Colombia (as well as other South American countries) carry empty suitcases around the block.

Denmark

Residents of Denmark greet the New Year by throwing old, chipped, plates and glasses against the doors of family and friends to banish bad spirits - tradition has it that the more broken kitchenware you accumulate on your door step, the better off you’ll be (and also see how popular you are!) They also stand on chairs and jump off of them together at midnight to “leap” into January in hopes of good luck.

Norway (and Denmark)

Kransekake, a traditional ringed cake often made with at least 18 layers, is eaten in both Denmark and Norway on New Year’s Eve. The sugary layers, which look like cookies, are held together with a tasty royal icing. 

Austria

The New Year’s food traditions in Austria come two-fold. First, there’s finding a lucky charm that has been hidden inside a suckling pig. Then it’s onto a dessert of peppermint ice cream, which somehow represents economic windfalls in the coming year.

Finland

Going to a fortune-teller can either be a fun or harrowing experience. But one Nordic New Year tradition involves reading the future for yourself.In Finland, people predict the coming year by casting molten tin into a container of water, then interpreting the shape the metal takes after hardening. Its shape and shadow supposedly tell all: a heart or ring means a wedding, while a ship predicts travel and a pig declares there will be plenty of food. However, a broken piece of tin is considered a sure sign of bad luck.

Chile

In the small town of Tulca, Chile, it is tradition to spend the last night of the year at a sleepover at the cemetery. Locals believe that the souls of dearly departed friends and family come to hang around on the night of New Year’s Eve. So they make fires, bring food and drink, and decorate their loved ones’ graves for some ghostly quality time.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, los años viejos (the old years) is a beloved part of how to celebrate the New Year. People construct large scarecrows of those they don’t like and set them alight at midnight in order to burn away the ills of last year. Building the scarecrow is a family activity. While it’s mostly done for fun and laughs, controlling the bevy of fires is sometimes a serious undertaking.

Panama

To drive off evil spirits for a fresh New Year’s start, it is tradition (similar to that of Ecuador) to burn effigies of well-known people such as television characters and political figures in Panama. The effigies are meant to represent the old year. Rather than simply setting them on fire, the dolls are typically stuffed with fireworks in order to really get the festivities cranking.

Scotland

During Scotland’s New Year’s Eve celebration of Hogmanay, “first-footing” is practiced across the country. The first person who crosses a threshold of a home in the New Year should carry a gift for luck. Scots also hold bonfire ceremonies where people parade while swinging giant fireballs on poles, supposedly symbols of the sun, to purify the coming year. Across the country, and especially in the capital of Edinburgh, New Year's Eve is actually a three-day celebration. On December 30, 8,000 revellers holding torches create a "river of fire" that winds down through Old Town's streets, from Parliament Square to Calton Hill. To top off the procession, pipers and drums walk in step. On New Year's Eve itself, enjoy a few wee drams and ceilidh, a social gathering with Scottish music and traditional dancing. And if your head isn't aching from all the wee drams you knock back the night before, catch the last ceilidh of the holiday season on January 1. If you're truly brave, take part in the Loony Dook, a costumed, polar-plunge event in the Firth of Forth just outside the city.

Of course, I could not forget the tradition of singing “Auld Lang Syne” at midnight is done throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The traditional Scottish folk song was transcribed (not written) by beloved poet Robert Burns in 1783. The literal Auld Land Syne translation is “old long since,” which really means, “days gone by.”

After that, it became a common song of celebration—for weddings, graduations, funerals, etc.—throughout Scotland. In the nearly two and a half centuries since, “Auld Lang Syne” has become the most popular New Year’s song in the world.

Ireland

To ward off evil spirits, families in Ireland make way for a healthy and prosperous new year by banging loaves of Christmas bread against the walls and doors throughout the home. 

England

For good fortune in the newly arrived year, Brits believe the first guest to enter through the front door should be a young, dark-headed male bearing gifts such as bread (to be full), salt (to be wealthy) and coal (to stay warm).

Philippines

You’ll find round shapes all over the Philippines on New Year’s Eve as representatives of coins to symbolize prosperity in the coming year due to their shape (which mirrors coins). Many families display or serve piles of fruit on their dining tables and some eat exactly 12 round fruits (grapes being the most common, but they can be apples or plums) at midnight - each fruit represents one month out of the year. Many also wear polka dots for luck. 

Brazil

In Brazil, as well as other Central and South America countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela, it is thought to be lucky to wear special underwear on New Year’s Eve. Thecolour of underwear helps to determine the wearer’s specific successes for next year, so the most popular colours are red, thought to bring love in the New Year, and yellow, thought to bring money, and green for luck. Also, in Brazil, people usually go to the beach since it’s the summer there. Immediately after midnight, you’re supposed to jump seven waves while making seven wishes, to bring good luck in the coming year. The tradition is rooted in paying homage to Yemanja, the goddess of water. Before you get in the water, you’re supposed to wear all white, as it symbolizes purity and peace, and bring a bouquet with you to throw into the ocean as an offering to the goddess herself. Finally, in Brazil, there is a tradition to eat lentils at New Year, as these represent money - meaning good fortune for the year ahead!

Greece

An onion is traditionally hung on the front door of homes on New Year’s Even in Greece as a symbol of rebirth in the New Year. On New Year’s Day, parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion.

United States

Millions of Americans gather around their television sets (or on the streets of Times Square, despite freezing temps) to watch the ball drop at the stroke of midnight each year. Kicking off in 1907 to ring in January 1908, New York Times owner Adolph Ochs created the event to draw attention to the Times’s new headquarters, and it’s been an annual spectacle and one of the most popular New Year’s Eve celebrations ever since. As a result, other cities in the US now have their own traditions of dropping things on New Year's Eve. In Vincennes in Indiana, people drop watermelons from high up!

India

In places like Bombay they’d make an effigy of an ‘old man’ that symbolized the old year and burn it at midnight. The burning symbolizes the passing of grievances from the old year and makes space for a new year to be born.

Japan

People in Japan kick off New Year’s Eve (or Omisoka) by eating a warm bowl of soba noodles. The tradition dates back to the Kamakura period and is tied to a Buddhist temple giving out the noodles to the poor. Because the long thin noodles are firm yet easy to bite, it is believed eating them symbolizes a literal break away from the old year. They, as well as in South Korea, also celebrate by ringing bells in Buddhist temples. However, instead of a mere dozen times, ringing a bell 108 times - Buddhists believe that we humans are entrapped by 108 different desires that keep us suffering. The chimes symbolize purification from the accumulation of these passions over the previous year.

If you're in Tokyo, witness the ritual at the city's iconic Zojoji Temple. Finally, there is Oshogatsu which is celebrated with family, who both cleans and decorates the entire house together. Then natural decorations such as pine branches, plum blossoms, and bamboo play a special role in preparing for the New Year celebration.

France

On New Year’s Eve, edible opulence steals the show in the form of le reveillion de la Saint-Sylvestre. Partiers will go all out on Champagne to celebrate the new year. There is usually plenty of dancing and party hopping, and will feast for hours on foie gras, oysters, turkey, goose, or a Cornish hen. The top-flight fare is meant to signify wealth in the year to come.

Haiti

January 1 is actually Haitian Independence Day, and they celebrate by eating pumpkin soup (soup joumou) because it was a delicacy that enslaved Black people were not allowed to have. They often go to other people’s houses and bring some of their own soup and swap for some of theirs, as everyone makes it a little different.

South Africa

Some South Africans—particularly those in the neighbourhood of Hillbrow in Johannesburg— take cleaning house for the new year to an entirely new level. Throwing old furniture and appliances (think fridges!) from the windows of tall buildings somehow helps to make the new year bright. It’s actually a very serious health hazard there!

Bahamas

Junkanoo, a Bahamian festival that takes place on both Boxing Day and New Year's Day (the party starts at 2 a.m. on the first day of the year), is a can't-miss if you're visiting Nassau during the winter. Thought to have started in the late 18th century, when slaves were allowed to leave plantations to celebrate Christmas as a community, these noisy, vibrant parades that carry on until 10 a.m. are now an important part of the islands' holiday traditions. Groups of dancers hit the streets, while musicians beat goatskin drums and cow whistles. Plus, the costumes alone are a sight to behold. 

Estonia

Foodies and gourmands should head to Estonia for New Year's Eve -- not only is the capital city of Tallinn exceptionally gorgeous, but the New Year's Eve tradition of eating a lucky number of meals makes for a good excuse to indulge. And don't think you can get away with an extra meal or two -- the numbers seven, nine, and 12 are considered the luckiest. And as the tradition goes, eating seven, nine, or 12 times means you'll have the strength of that many men (we'd like to think women, too) in the new year. But you don't have to finish everything on your plate; leaving some food behind will make ancestral spirits happy. 

Romania

In Romania, there's a tradition for people to dress up as dancing bears to chase away any evil spirits. This is because bears are special according to old Romanian stories and are able to protect and heal people.

Canada

Freezing temps don’t keep Canadians from starting the new year with a winter favourite sport—ice fishing. Families will rent heated huts and cooking equipment so that they can enjoy their feast with loved ones on the spot. 

Mexico

In Mexico families gather to make New Year’s Eve food—specifically tamales, which are corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese, and veggies all wrapped in husks—and then hand them out to loved ones on New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, the warm pockets are often served with menudo, a traditional Mexican soup made from cow’s stomach. 

Puerto Rico

In addition to cleaning their homes as the Japanese do, Puerto Ricans clean everything— the car, the garden, and even the streets. They also have a practice of throwing buckets of water out the window in order to do away with the bad juju of last year.

Netherlands

Amsterdam hosts one of the world’s largest street parties on New Year’s Eve. If you attend, buy some oliebollen (oily balls) to eat at midnight. Tradition holds that eating these deep fried dough balls will ward off evil spirits in the New Year. Dam Square (the craziest), Rembrandtplein, Nieuwmarkt, and Leidseplein host unofficial street parties with music, fireworks and beer tents. Amsterdam’s celebration is not for the casual partier: Some attendees have likened it to a war zone!

Belarus

In Belarus, New Year’s is included as a part of a 13-day festival known as Kaliady. Kaliady originates from the old pagan recognition of the winter solstice. It was only later that the Orthodox Christians added the celebration of Christmas (on January 7). Kaliady has customary foods in three ritual dinners, trick-or-treating, caroling, and more.