12 Interesting New Year Traditions Around the World
Saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new one is celebrated differently across cultures. Many countries have their own traditional rituals, some of which are fascinating and unusual to outsiders.
1. Twelve Round Fruits (Philippines)
In the Philippines, twelve round or spherical fruits are displayed on the table on New Year’s Eve, one for each month of the coming year, as a symbol of prosperity and good fortune.
2. Ringing Bells 108 Times (Japan)
In Japan, temple bells are traditionally rung 108 times in the final moments of December 31, a Buddhist practice believed to cleanse 108 worldly desires or sins before the new year begins.
3. Playing Drums and Pots
In many countries, people step outside their homes on New Year’s Eve banging drums and pots. This tradition is often traced to Ireland, where the noise was meant to drive away negative energy and bad spirits, welcoming a positive start to the new year.
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4. Cleaning Wells (Wales)
This lesser-known tradition, tied to parts of Wales in the United Kingdom, involves children visiting neighbors’ homes on New Year’s Day to sing a song or recite a poem at the door, receiving small gifts like coins or chocolates in return.
5. Burning a Written Wish (Russia and Armenia)
In Russia, and particularly in Armenia, some people write down a wish on paper, burn it, and mix the ashes into a drink, which they drink as the clock strikes midnight, believing it helps the wish come true.
6. Coin Inside the Cake (Cyprus)
In Cyprus and some other European countries, a New Year’s cake called “vasilopita” is baked with a coin hidden inside. Whoever finds the coin in their slice is believed to have good fortune for the year ahead.
7. Cutting an Apple in Half (Czech Republic)
In the Czech Republic, people traditionally cut an apple in half on New Year’s Eve. If the core forms a star shape, it is considered a good omen; a cross shape is traditionally seen as less fortunate.
8. Jumping Off a Chair (Denmark)
In Denmark, people jump off a chair at the stroke of midnight, symbolically leaping into the new year and leaving the difficulties of the old year behind.
9. Hogmanay (Scotland)
“Hogmanay” is the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Traditions include torchlit processions and fire festivals in the streets, along with “first-footing,” where the first visitor to a home after midnight is thought to bring luck for the year.
10. Eating 12 Grapes (Spain)
In Spain, people eat twelve grapes as the clock strikes midnight, one with each chime, for good luck across the twelve months of the year. This tradition has also spread to parts of Latin America.
11. Jumping Over Waves Seven Times (Brazil)
On Brazilian beaches on New Year’s Eve, many people jump over seven ocean waves, making a wish with each jump for good fortune in the year ahead, sometimes leaving flowers or small offerings in the sea.
12. Carrying an Empty Suitcase (Latin America)
Across several Latin American countries, people carry an empty suitcase around their block or house at midnight, symbolizing a wish for more travel and adventure in the coming year.
