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new years eve traditions

Grapes, Potatoes, and Fireworks: A Worldwide Guide to New Year’s Eve Traditions

As the world celebrates New Year’s Eve, various traditions and customs are observed globally, signifying the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Each culture has its own unique way of welcoming the future based on its history, beliefs, and aspirations. Accordingly, at the stroke of midnight, people from diverse backgrounds come together to commemorate the occasion in their distinctive ways.

New York

The countdown to the New Year is a significant event celebrated with grandeur and festivity in many Western countries. For example, the iconic ball drop in Times Square, New York City, has become a global symbol of the transition to a new year. People gather in large crowds, braving the cold, to witness the dazzling display of lights and colours as the ball descends. Fireworks illuminate the night sky, and people cheer, expressing excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.

Adolph Ochs, the owner of The New York Times, organised the first New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square. He also held a series of fireworks displays to promote the newspaper’s new headquarters at the Times building. Artkraft Strauss designed the ball, which was first dropped on December 31, 1907, to welcome the year 1908. Since then, the ball drop has become an annual event, except for 1942 and 1943, when it was cancelled due to wartime blackouts.

Spain

In Spain, the New Year’s eve traditions are “las doce uvas de la suerte” or “The Twelve Lucky Grapes”. The idea is to eat twelve green grapes at the first stroke of midnight on Nochevieja, commonly known as New Year’s Eve, as the year changes. The aim is to finish all twelve grapes before the last bell toll fades. You only have about twelve seconds to eat each grape, one for each chime of midnight. If you can complete the task, it is believed that you will have a luck-filled new year. However, it is crucial to ensure that you do not have any grapes remaining in your mouth by the end of it!

There is an additional requirement, however, when consuming the grapes. It is customary to wear red undergarments. However, they must have been given to you as a gift. The origin of this aspect of the tradition is shrouded in mystery, and nobody knows how it came to be.

South America

Many countries in Latin America have unique New Year’s Eve traditions to welcome the New Year and let go of the past year. For instance, in Chile, people write down the things they want to change and burn them on paper to dispose of the negative vibes from the past year. Similarly, in Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, and even further north in Mexico, people make or buy effigies of the “old year” called “año viejos” and burn them in the streets at midnight on December 31. This symbolic custom is a way of receiving new hopes for change and letting go of all that happened in the previous year.

new years eve traditions burning effigies in south america

In Brazil, however, dressing all in white, jumping seven waves, and placing flowers in the ocean to wish for good luck is traditional. In Peru and Colombia, there is a unique custom related to financial prediction. People put three potatoes (one peeled, one half-peeled, and one unpeeled) under their beds. The next day, they pick one potato without looking. If they choose the peeled potato, it means bad financial luck; if they choose the half-peeled one, then they will have mediocre financial luck; and if they choose the unpeeled one, it means good financial luck.

Japan

In Japan, the start of the New Year is signalled by the ringing of temple bells. This ritual, known as Joya no Kane or the “watch-night bell,” involves ringing the bell 108 times. This number symbolises the 108 human temptations recognised in Buddhist belief. The ritual is, therefore, believed to purify the soul and bring about a fresh start in the new year. Additionally, Japanese families enjoy traditional New Year’s dishes during this time, such as toshikoshi soba, a type of noodle dish consumed for longevity.

Scotland

In Scotland, the celebration of New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay (Hog-Mah-Nay). The first person to enter a home after midnight is known as the first footer. They are believed to bring good luck for the upcoming year. It is considered particularly lucky if the first footer is a tall, dark-haired man. The festivities also include singing “Auld Lang Syne” and a huge street party in Edinburgh.

new years eve traditions fireworks over edinburg
Fireworks over Edinburgh
Philippines

New Year’s Eve is celebrated in the Philippines with a vibrant fireworks display. A special midnight feast called Media Noche then follows. During this feast, families gather together and share a lavish meal. The abundance of food on the table symbolises prosperity in the upcoming year. The round shape of fruits, considered particularly lucky, is often featured in the festivities.

Father Time

Father Time is portrayed as an elderly man with a long, flowing white beard. He is typically depicted holding a scythe or an hourglass. This symbolic figure is widely recognised across various cultures. He signifies the unrelenting passage of time and the inevitability of aging and mortality.

new years eve father time
Father Time is in the Rotunda clock at the Library of Congress. Image public domain

Father Time’s concept is rooted in the ancient Greek and Roman mythologies. Time was personified as a god known as Chronos by the Greeks and Saturn by the Romans. These gods were often depicted as old men, and their representations have evolved into the modern concept of Father Time that we know today.

Father Time is particularly linked with New Year’s Eve traditions and festivities, and he is usually portrayed as an elderly man who says goodbye to the past year and welcomes the new one. A baby often represents the passing from the old year to the new, symbolising the incoming year. Thus emphasising the never-ending cycle of time.

new years eve traditions

These diverse New Year’s Eve traditions highlight the universal human desire for hope, luck, and positive beginnings. Whether it’s the solemn ringing of bells in Japan, the energetic dances in Brazil, or the quirky dish-smashing in Denmark, the rituals people engage in on this particular night reflect the richness of cultural diversity and the shared optimism for a brighter future. As the clock resets and the calendar turns, these traditions connect people worldwide to celebrate a new beginning.

© Bevlea Ross