New Year’s traditions vary wildly from culture to culture, although almost all include the Three F’s: food, fun and fireworks. Oh, yeah, and ways to assure good luck in the coming year. Whatever your traditions, may your New Year (and decade) be blessed. Because blessings beat luck hands-down! Don’t miss the summary of unusual traditions below.
(Click on any image to enlarge it, or to begin slide show)
Denmark
Chile
Ethiopia
Brazil
China
Ecuador and Colombia
Greece
Haiti
India
Ireland
Japan
Japan
Netherlands
Peru
Philippines
Scotland-Hogmanay
Siberia
South Africa
South Africa-refrigerators galore!
Spain
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe-Vic Falls Carnival
Time Square, New York
Switzerland
Scotland
- South Africans party all night into New Year’s Day. When the church bell chimes at midnight, everyone cheers and many throw refrigerators from balconies!
- Brazilians eat seven pomegranate seeds to assure wealth and seven grapes to assure abundance in everything else. Wearing red underwear also helps!
- Siberians plant volkas, New Year’s Trees, under frozen lakes, symbolizing the coming of Father Frost, and the promise of a new life.
- In Denmark, friends and relatives jump off chairs and break dishes on doorsteps. The bigger the pile, the more friends and happiness you’ll have in the coming year.
- Chileans eat three spoonfuls of lentils: one for love, one for health, and one for wealth. They also place a luca (1000 peso note) in their right shoe to multiply wealth in the coming year.
- The Chinese, once plagued by a hungry monster called Nian, make loud noises and decorate things in red to scare it away. Nian is now the word for “year.” Oh, and there are dragons, can’t forget the dragons.
- In Netherlands on New Year’s Eve, Oudejaarslot, people buy lottery tickets and munch oliebol, Dutch doughnuts, at oliebollenkraam stands while waiting for the jackpot to be announced.
- Ecuadorians and Columbians burn scarecrows at midnight. Columbians also place three potatoes under their beds: one peeled, one unpeeled, and one half-peeled. When the clock strikes midnight, they reach under and grab one. A peeled potato means money problems, unpeeled means abundance, and half-peeled means “who knows.”
- The Spanish eat Twelve Grapes at Midnight. If they can eat all 12 in 12 seconds, they’ll have 12 months of good luck.
- The Irish bang bread against their walls on New Year’s Eve to chase away evil spirits and attract good luck.
- Peruvians celebrate (?) the New Year at the annual Takanakuy Festival by beating each other up!
- The Swiss toast the new year with ice cream cones, then drop them on the ground at midnight, guaranteeing abundance—and more ice cream—in the coming year!
- USA: the famous Times Square ball drop began when fireworks were outlawed in 1907. Also, many African-Americans eat black-eyed peas and collard greens to assure happiness in the coming year.
- In Haiti, joumou, a pumpkin soup once forbidden to slaves, is eaten in honor of the independence they fought for and won in 1804.
- In the Philippines, round is the ticket: Round fruits are eaten, balls and coins are handed out, and polka-dotted clothes are worn for luck.
- The Scottish New Year, Hogmanay, involves lots of Vikings with torches, lots parties with haggis, and other actually edible things. The first party guest to arrive gets cakes or, better yet, a bottle of Scotch!
- Ethiopians, far more soberly celebrate Enkutatash, the Coptic Christian New Year, with worship, processions and feasts, and end with torch-burning and hymn-singing on New Year’s Eve.
Whatever your tradition…
Mitch Teemley 
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Happy New Year, Cindy!
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Reblogged this on Blue Dragon Journal.
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Very interesting! Happy New Year Mitch!
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You too, Ryan!
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I vote to adopt the Swiss tradition. More ice cream! Happy New Year, Mitch!!
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Yep, and maybe skip right past the Peruvian tradition. Happy New Year, Liz!
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😀
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Texans eat blackeyed peas and cornbread for luck on New Year’s Day. If you go to a restaurant, that’s all they serve.
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Well, hot damn! I like both, actually. Must be part Texan. Happy New Year, Katheryn!
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year 4545
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Happy New Year!
I want to know more about that refrigerator tradition.
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Don’t know where it comes from. Apparently some people toss TVs or pieces of furniture, as well. Confidence they’ll have better things in the New Year ahead, maybe?
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I found a ‘chat’ page devoted to the topic. Not only that if they don’t have a spare fridge to toss, they use sofas, chairs, and other appliances. There are several listings of police warnings to not take part in such festivities. I still like the grapes better. They look just scrumptious.
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I was so excited at finding an article, I blubbered on without realizing you’d said the same thing. Let’s hope for that maybe!!
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Happy New Year, Mitch!
Thanks for all your wisdom and laughs throughout the year. I don’t always comment but I do read your posts. 🙂
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Aw, thank you, Mary! Blessings in the year ahead.
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Pingback: New Year’s Traditions Around the World — Mitch Teemley | Ups and Downs of Family History V2.0
Great compilation, Mitch. A most healthy and prosperous 2020 to you and family!
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Thanks, JW!
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Happy New Year! Great post! We homeschool and I used this in our geography lesson today 🙂 Thanks!!
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Glad to be of help, Teach!
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Happy healthy new year
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Happy New Year! In Swiss,West Virginia it’s becoming a tradition to kick back the recliner and enjoy the New Year with my wife and doggy.
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You West Virginians and your elaborate rituals.
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🤣
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Lovely! Happy 2020! In Cuba we throw a bucket of water to the street to get rid of “the bed stuff” from the previous one.
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I like the symbolism.
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Thanks for sharing this extensive and informative research. Happy New Year!🎉🎊
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It is not only African-Americans who eat black-eyed peas etc. It is a tradition in the south to eat “hoppin john” which is a dish made of black-eyed peas, rice, ham and spices. Along with collards a typical southern New Year’s fare. It is supposed to bring luck.
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Never had hoppin’ john, but I like all of the ingredients. Will have to try it sometime. Thx!
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Happy New Year, Mitch. Thanks for being such an encouragement!!!
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My privilege. And thank you, as well, Heidi.
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Happy New Year, Mitch. And many many more.
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Thank you, K, and you, as well.
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In just a couple of hours our New Year’s Day lunch will include lots and lots of Black-Eyed Peas and cornbread. I had a friend from up north say Black-Eyed Peas are what they fed the cows (He’d never celebrated New Year’s in the south). Perhaps that’s why he had a growing herd every year…
It was also Watch Night last night, an important tradition in the African-American community. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year (with or without peas…) !
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Thanks, Gregory. You too!
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Happy new year! May this year and decade bring awesome things your way – peace, connection, joy…
Love, light and glitter
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Thank you, Eliza. You too!
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Happy New Year, Mitch!
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Thanks, Ann, you too!
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My daughter-in-law introduced me to the Dutch oliebol! Yummy!
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Has she won any lotteries? ;>)
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