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Discovering the world’s strangest New Year’s traditions

December 24, 2015 05:31 by author

As with most other major celebrations, different locations and cultures have many traditions surrounding the turn of the year. Many New Year customs can date from a long time ago and have been handed down through the centuries, while others can be far more modern inventions.

So depending on where you are in the world on New Year's Eve, you might be celebrating in ways which might seem strange to people in other countries.

Fireworks

Digitalbuzz

Today many major events all over the world are celebrated by letting off fireworks, and this is certainly true at New Year. One of the most famous and spectacular displays takes place each year in Sydney Australia. In fact, it is the most popular New Year's Eve celebration in the world as shown by 2.3 million watching on TV in Australia last year and more than a billion viewers in total worldwide.

Make some noise

Drummerworld

Of course only part of the appeal of a great fireworks display is the visuals, the noisy bangs, whizzes and fizzes also play a big part. So it's no surprise to find that just making a racket has long been a tradition at New Year.

Today Italians ring their church bells, in Switzerland drums are beaten and in North America sirens and party horns are sounded to make sure no one sleeps through the turn of the year.

Lucky Food

ChristinaScucina

Many New Year’s traditions involve food, such as the act of eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spain, one at each sound of the bell. It sounds much easier than it actually is!

Elsewhere, in Ireland pastries called bannocks are eaten, in India and Pakistan rice promises prosperity and in Swiss homes dollops of whipped cream are dropped on the floor and not cleaned up, symbolising the richness of the year ahead.

Drinking

Champagne or any bottle that opens with a 'pop' is always going to be a New Year favourite wherever you might be, in Holland good luck toasts are made with hot spiced wine.

In Scotland, where New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay and is for many is the most important part of the Holiday period, spiced “hot pot” is customarily drunk at home and then shared with neighbours in the 'first footing' ritual.

First footing

In Scotland the custom of first-footing is an important part of the traditional celebrations and means that the first foot to enter a home after midnight will predict the next year’s fortune. New brides, new mothers, anyone who is tall and dark and people whose birthday falls on January 1st are all favourite first footers.

Gifting

In many cultures, giving gifts on New Year’s Day was the main time to swap presents and the tradition still continues in some places today.

However, in the past Romans would have given each other gilded nuts or coins, eggs were the gift of choice for the Persians and early Egyptians swapped earthenware flasks.