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- Spain: Eating Grapes For Good Luck. In Spain, locals will eat exactly 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight to honor a tradition that started in the late 19th century.
- Scotland: First Footing. In Scotland, the day before Jan. 1 is so important that there's even an official name for it: Hogmanay. On this day, the Scottish observe many traditions, but easily one of their most famous is first footing.
- The Netherlands: Chowing Down On. The reasoning behind this Dutch New Year's Eve celebration is odd, to say the least. Ancient Germanic tribes would eat pieces of deep-fried dough during the Yule so that when Germanic goddess Perchta, better known as Perchta the Belly Slitter, tried to cut their stomachs open and fill them with trash (a punishment for those who hadn't sufficiently partaken in yuletide cheer), the fat from the dough would cause her sword to slide right off.
- Russia: Planting Underwater Trees. For the past 25 years or so, it has been a Russian holiday tradition for two divers, aptly named Father Frost and the Ice Maiden, to venture into a frozen Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake, and take a New Year Tree—typically a decorated spruce—more than 100 feet below the surface.
- Mallory Moench
- Times Square ball drop. Some version of the famous ball has been dropped in Times Square in New York City on New Year’s Eve since 1907, although the history of using a ball on a pole to notify ship captains of the time dates back to the 1800s.
- Jumping waves and wearing white. In Brazil, revelers often wear white and go to the beach to celebrate the new year. At the ocean, some practice the tradition of making offerings to Iemanjá, or Yemanja, an ocean goddess from traditional Afro-Brazilian religions Candomblé and Umbanda.
- First footing. One tradition in Scotland, where New Year’s Eve is known as Hogmanay, is “first footing”—literally the first foot to enter someone’s home after midnight.
- Ringing bells 108 times. In Japan, Buddhist temples ring bells 108 times on New Year’s Eve. This is because in Buddhism, it is believed that there are 108 types of earthly desires, and each strike of the bell will remove one desire.
Dec 27, 2023 · 35 Popular New Year's Traditions to Bring You Good Fortune in 2024. ... a big part of starting 2024 off on the right foot is all about being in a positive headspace on New Year's Eve, and these ...
- Marisa Lascala
- 2 min
- marisa.lascala@hearst.com
Feb 16, 2010 · Most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions ...
- 1 min
- Host a Party. This is probably the most popular tradition for New Year's Eve. Who doesn't like to celebrate with friends and family in the comfort of home?
- Watch Fireworks. Fireworks are a bright and mesmerizing part of New Year's. Getting together with friends to watch them is a fun tradition for all!
- Listen to "Auld Lang Syne" Bid farewell to the passing year by playing this traditional song for everyone to sing along to!
- Make a Toast. What better way is there to start a new year than to toast to all the good times from the previous year? Doing so may even allow some of that prosperity to spill over!
Dec 15, 2023 · Courtesy of Alexandre Barbosa/Unsplash. 4. Brazil: Wearing white while jumping into the ocean. Wearing white on New Year’s Eve has long been a tradition with roots in Africa. In Brazil, the Festa de Lemanjá takes place on this night to celebrate the goddess of the sea (Lemanjá).
If New Year’s Eve night wind blow south, It betokeneth warmth and growth. For abundance in the new year, fill your pockets and cupboards today. If the old year goes out like a lion, the new year will come in like a lamb. Begin the new year square with every man. [i.e., pay your debts!] –Robert B. Thomas, founder of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
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