Unusual New Year Traditions from All Over The World

Pic from Fodor’s Travel

Universally New Years night or New Years Day means the same thing to everyone, except the Chinese, who do the same thing, but based on the Lunar year, and it’s a different date. Seems kind of snooty to me. That’s why I haven’t visited China yet. The rest of the world is on the same page as far as the date goes, but in other countries they celebrate the holiday in wildly different ways!

Spain and other Spanish speaking countries: In Spanish speaking countries the locals eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve. Each grape represents good luck for each month of the upcoming year. Fortunately they didn’t choose grapefruit or watermelons!

Denmark’s Plate Smashing Tradition: In Denmark it’s customary to throw dishes at your friends door on New Years Eve. The more broken dishes on your doorstep, the more popular you are. This is exactly why I don’t have any Danish friends.

Japan’s Temple Bells Ringing: In Japan temples ring the temple bells 108 times at New Years Eve midnight to symbolize the 108 human sins in Buddhist belief. People gather to listen to the bells, hoping to leave the past behind. They only believe in 108 sins?!!? Have they not seen the internet yet?

South Africa’s Furniture Tossing: In some parts of South Africa it’s not uncommon for people to throw old furniture out their windows on New Years Eve. This act symbolizes letting go of the past and embracing the new. Coincidentally, hundreds of pedestrians are killed by falling furniture every New Years Eve.

Ecuador’s Scarecrow Burning: In Ecuador, people create life-sized scarecrows, known as “Anos Viejos,” representing the old year. (there is supposed to be an accent over the n in Anos, but I don’t know how to do that). At midnight the Ecuadoreans light their effigies on fire, symbolizing burning away the past. Maybe if some Ecuadoreans visited South Africa on New Years day they could take care of all the New Years Eve furniture on the sidewalks.

Finland’s Predictive Metal Casting: It’s called Tinanvalanta. In Finland people predict the coming year by melting tin horseshoes and casting them into cold water. The resulting shape is believed to foretell a person’s future – a heart shape signifies love while a ship may mean travel. I have a similar tradition where I dip a chip (crisp) in some melted cheese and it foretells me eating a tasty chip.

Columbia’s Empty Suitcase Stroll: Columbians take an empty suitcase and walk around their block at midnight, hoping it will bring travel and adventure in the coming year. I wonder how many couples break up because one actually took their suitcase and just kept going until they got to the airport?

Philippine’s Round Food Feast: Filipino’s believe that eating round fruits on New Years Eve bring prosperity and wealth in the coming year. How many shapes does food come in? Are there any parallelogram foods?

Russia’s New Years Eve Divination: In Russia, it’s a tradition to write down a wish on a piece of paper, burn it, and then mix the ashes with a glass of champagne. They believe that drinking their burnt wishes will bring fulfillment of their wish. Apparently someone in Russia wished for a long, awful war.

Scotland’s First Footing: In Scotland the “First Footing” tradition involves being the first person to enter a friend or neighbors home home after the stroke of midnight, bringing symbolic gifts like coins, bread, salt, and whisky for good luck. Although I am a quarter Scottish, please don’t show up at my house at 12:01 this coming Sunday night. I’ll call the cops.

Have you noticed how destructive and dangerous most of these traditions are? It’s like half of them were concocted by pyromaniacs.

Happy New Year’s eve! I hope that you  have a great evening! Thanks for reading! ~Phil