Fun New Year’s Eve Traditions Around the World

The night between the years is one of happiness, parties, and abundance in most cultures around the world – whenever that night may be. The year starts at different dates in different countries – in Israel, it is in the fall, in China, it’s usually around February, and the list could go on. For those of us using the Gregorian calendar, the last day of the year is December 31. But what’s common in most countries is that the old year is bid farewell to with happiness and joy, and the new year is greeted likewise. And some of the traditions tied to this date are funny – not just for us but for those keeping them as well.

Lucky charms

A lot of traditions linked to New Year’s Eve are related to luck, seemingly to make sure that in the new year, all your visits to online Canada casinos will end with a jackpot win – or at least that bad luck will avoid you in the next 12 months. And what better way to make sure the new year will be lucky than eating foods that ensure good luck for the coming months? Each culture has its own set of lucky meals.

Beans and greens are consumed because they resemble money. In many cultures, the consumption of black beans, lentils, and other legumes are good omens for the coming year. Pigs are also related to good fortune because they root forward, which is a symbol of progress. Fish, in turn, have scales that resemble coins, so eating them on the night between the years is meant to assure that plenty of coins will fall into your hand.

In Spain, people eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each chime of the clock, each one representing a wish for happiness. In China, fish and dumplings can’t miss from the New Year’s table. In Germany, the tradition calls for eating pigs… but they are made of marzipan, a sugary almond paste that’s just as delicious as it sounds. In the Netherlands, the traditional New Year’s treat is a spherical donut filled with diced apples, raisins, and candied citrus peel.

Fireworks

Cities around the world say farewell to the old year and greet the new one by painting the sky with fireworks. This is not just a festive display but one that has a deeper traditional meaning: the noise and light of the exploding rockets are driving evil away. Fireworks have been used as part of celebrations for ages, and today, they are so widespread that there can be no New Year’s Eve celebration without them, no matter where you go.

Colors

The colors you wear for New Year’s Eve has a special meaning in many cultures. In China, for example, the family stays awake after the New Year’s Eve dinner to drive away “Year”, a mythical beast that comes out to harm people and destroy property during the night. Luckily, the beast is afraid of fire, loud sounds, and the color red, so it can be driven away.

Red is a color with a special meaning in other cultures, too. In Brazil, for example, you are expected to wear a completely white attire on New Year’s Eve to attract peace and happiness. Underneath the white, in turn, you need to wear accent colors that represent New Year’s resolutions – red for romance, green for health, blue for harmony, and yellow for prosperity.

Throwing things

Last but not least, a tradition that may sound weird to many but not the Irish, methinks. Here, it is traditional to bang the walls and the doors of the house with Christmas bread. It is a ritual with two meanings: on one hand, it makes sure that there will be no shortage in the house in the new year, and it is also believed to drive the evil spirits and demons out of the house.