New Year's Around the World

All around the world, people have many different traditions that they celebrate on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Over the holiday break, students celebrated many different traditions with their families. Below, the PEN Peer Leaders have listed a few different New Year’s Traditions from around the world.

1. Many cultures believe that there are lucky foods that need to be eaten on New Year’s Eve to ring in the New Year. In Spain, Portugal, and much of Latin America, people believe that eating 12 grapes or raisins on New Year’s Eve will bring on luck. In Italy, people eat 12 spoonfuls of lentils with each stroke of the clock at midnight. The French ring in the New Year with pancakes, the Germans have marzipan shaped into pigs, and people eat donuts and ring-shaped foods in the Netherlands. Estonians feast as many as seven, nine, or even twelve times on New Year’s Eve, since they believe that they will gain strength with every meal that they eat. In the southern United States, people eat collard greens since they symbolize money.

2. In Scotland, people celebrate Hogmanay. It is a holiday that begins on December 30th and ends on New Year’s Day. People visit their friends and family and bring them gifts during their periods. People also “red” their house, which is a deep cleaning of the entire house, especially their fireplace. Communities also gather to sing “Auld Lang Syne,” a song that is sung all over the world, but is originally Scottish.

3. In the Philippines, people wear polka dots and eat round fruits. They believe that round shapes bring prosperity and good luck. Children try to jump as hard as they can in hopes that they will grow taller in the coming year.

4. Mexicans celebrate the New Year by walking around with an empty suitcase at midnight to ring in a new year full of travel and new experiences.

5. In Cuba, people toss out a bucket of dirty water to get rid of the negative energy from the previous year.

6. Russians remain silent for the twelve seconds before midnight to give thanks for the previous year and make wishes for the next one.

7. In Denmark, people will jump off of a chair or couch. This symbolizes good luck as you jump into the new year.

However you and your family celebrated, Happy New Year from the PEN Peer Leaders!

Source:

https://www.afar.com/magazine/new-years-traditions-from-around-the-world