New Year's Around the World

In Denmark, a plate shatters against the wall, piercing the silence with a sharp “shink” sound. In case you were wondering, no one’s mad; in fact, they’re exuberant: the new year is here. The noise is made to drive evil spirits away. For the same purpose, bread is banged against walls in Ireland. Like these, there are many different New Year traditions around the world, and today, I will be covering five of them. Remember, not everyone in the following countries celebrates in these ways. I hope that you will learn more about various different traditions around the world!

Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year is celebrated in many cultures throughout Asia, especially East Asia. It falls on the day of the New Year according to the lunar calendar. In China, the new year is called Yuan Dan and is celebrated for sixteen days, lasting from Chinese New Year’s Eve (Feb 9, 2024) to the Lantern Festival (Feb 24, 2024). There are many celebrations over the course of this time, featuring different foods, such as laba mian, a traditional noodle snack made with beans, and traditions such as offering delectable dishes to ancestors.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam, Lunar New Year, also known as Tet, is celebrated as a time for renewal. Flowers are bought to decorate homes and traditional delicacies, including boiled chicken and Banh Chung (northern Vietnam)/Banh Tet (southern Vietnam), are served. The latter dish is made of green leaves wrapped around sticky rice, mung beans, and pork, with the shape varying depending on the location.

The Lunar New Year is also an important holiday in South Korea, and is marked by family gatherings, rituals, traditional foods, and more. Hanbok, a traditional piece of clothing which is mainly made of silk, hemp, ramie, or cotton, is worn, and important foods like tteokguk are eaten. According to 90Day Korean, tteokguk is a soup “made using sliced rice cake” and “often also contains some meat and other things, such as seaweed.” There are many other traditions as well, and I encourage you to do some research on your own!

Colombia

New Year’s in Colombia consists of different meals, celebrations, and traditions. Money is sent to families for good fortune and achieving New Year’s resolutions. At midnight, twelve chimes sound for twelve seconds. In this period of time, twelve grapes are eaten, one for each chime, and Colombians make a wish after consuming each grape. As an article on the Western Union website explains, “Grapes were chosen because of their link to Christian tradition, where wine represents the blood of Jesus.”

Another tradition is cleaning out the house thoroughly, as it gets rid of bad memories and negative thoughts. Some also take a step with their right foot, literally, into the new year, which is where the phrase “Start the year on the right foot” comes from. Additionally, an old doll that is disliked is burned at midnight to symbolize burning the old year. It’s clear that a theme is emerging: most of these traditions center on clearing out bad memories and welcoming good fortune.

Spain

Spain celebrates New Year’s somewhat similarly to Colombia, but of course, there are also some differences. In Spain, New Year’s is a time of welcoming luck, prosperity, and love. Much like in Colombia, people in Spain eat twelve grapes at midnight and take their first steps on their right feet, but they also participate in lotteries. Different things are done to lottery tickets for luck, such as rubbing them against a cat’s back or hanging them on horseshoes. Additionally, many people wear red, which also symbolizes luck and is especially worn by seekers of love. Moreover, they eat lentil soup for lunch, which is like eating a bowl of coins, symbolizing prosperity. Another tradition is to drop gold objects into a glass of cava, a type of sparkling wine, or to save a delicious cookie (instead of eating it) along with a coin throughout the year to bring financial fortune to yourself. After all, New Year’s traditions in Spain are usually to bring luck and prosperity to you and your family.

Greece

Greeks always have a reason to celebrate their holidays, and they have some interesting New Year’s traditions. Fireworks are lit on New Year’s Eve, and Saint Basil the Great, a beloved saint that studied law and teaching, is celebrated by eating vasilopita, which is a type of cake also known as Basil’s Bread. Onions and pomegranates are also hung on doors, as they are believed to be a fertility icon and a representation of growth and rebirth. At midnight, a person is chosen to step forward on their right foot and smash the pomegranates. The more seeds spread, the more luck the family/household will receive. Gifts are given, carols are sung, and cards are played for good luck. 

Romania

New Year’s is celebrated in Romania through fictional characters and various animal dances, where people dress up with different costumes for a big parade. The day starts with Plugusorul, which is a poem that is recited by children who walk from house to house, almost like Christmas carolers. Then come the animal dances, where people dressed in animal regalia perform representative dances, beginning with the devil, the bear, and the bride, which are characters with symbolic meanings of death and rebirth. More animals start to dance, including the goat, which is famous for telling the story of using magic to revive an animal that was cursed by evil spirits. Additionally, on New Year’s Eve, families cut an onion into twelve slices, to represent twelve months, and add an equal amount of salt to each piece. The next morning, the amount of water on each slice shows how much rain to expect in the upcoming months. This is called the onion calendar. It’s evident that Romanian celebrations are full of joy and symbolism.

As you can see, there are many different New Year’s traditions around the world. Each one brings joy, luck, and prosperity to families and households, even if they may be different from each other. Did you find a new tradition to try with your family/friends?