New Year is celebrated worldwide. It’s a holiday in almost all parts of the world. Every country around the world has its own New Year’s Traditions. To welcome in the New Year, there are certain things done by people from different cultures that they believe bring good luck.
Looking back at how 2020 went, perhaps we could all use some good luck in the New Year. Whether you plan to spend the night watching a movie at home, you have decided to go out for dinner, or you are just planning to go with the flow, here are some ways you could bring in the New Year with these New Year’s good-luck traditions.
NEW YEAR TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD FOR GOOD LUCK
- BRAZIL: In Brazil, on New Year’s Eve, everyone wears white clothes. This signifies peace and good luck. Also, family and other group pictures look great with everyone in matching clothes. Also, another thing they do in Brazil is head to the beach. They believe that jumping over seven waves increases your luck. As they jump over each wave, they make one wish.
- KOREA: On New Year’s Day, Koreans don’t wash their hair as they believe that they need to begin the year with fresh luck. But if they wash their hair, the luck flows away.
- DENMARK: In Denmark, broken dishes are considered good. So on New Year’s, people go around breaking dishware on the doorsteps of their houses and those close to them. The next day, based on the amount of shard outside your house, you are luckier and liked by others. Another thing they do in Denmark is, people, stand on chairs and leap into the New Year at midnight. This is to bring them good luck and banish bad spirits.
- CHINA: Chinese culture has several New Year’s customs. They are linked with food and wordplay. In Chinese, the word fish is pronounced ‘yu’, and the word for prosperity is also the same. So, in China, the whole family eats a whole fish together, as it is believed to bring wealth in the New Year. But there are some rules to this. The head of the fish must always be pointed to the elders and the person facing the head of the fish gets to dig in first!
- SPAIN: In Spain, it's always been a tradition to eat 12 grapes exactly at the stroke of midnight. They eat one grape at each of midnight’s 12 clock chimes. If you do eat them all in time, you will have luck all year, but if you don’t, you’ll face misfortune in the New Year. Once they finish all the grapes, they drink a glass of cava (Spanish sparkling wine) to toast to the New Year.
- COLUMBIA: In Columbia, they welcome in the New Year by going for a walk around their neighborhood with an empty suitcase. They believe that this brings them a year filled with travel, adventures, and fun! Though some people simply drag their bag around their house, actually taking the luggage around the block will have better chances of one traveling abroad.
- FRANCE: The French spend New Year’s Eve with family and friends. They have a meal called ‘le Réveillon’ which is a multi-course meal that consists of oysters, foie gras, and champagne. It is pretty much the same as what they eat for Christmas Eve. They consider the dinner to welcome prosperity in the coming year.
- PUERTO RICO: In Puerto Rico, they believe that throwing a bucket of water out of the window chases away evil spirits. They also sprinkle sugar outside their homes to bring in good luck.
- MEXICO: In Mexico, at the stroke of midnight, they celebrate New Year’s with a drink of bubbly. This is a pretty common thing that’s done in other countries too, but the one thing that separates it from other countries is that Latinos add a gold ring to the bottom of their glass before toasting to attract prosperity. Besides a gold ring, they also add gold chains, pendants, or a brooch. Any small gold object will do.
- NIGERIA: Nigeria is a country with several ethnic groups and religions, each with its own beliefs. But on New Year’s, no matter their beliefs, Nigerians gather together at their places of worship – churches, Mosques, and Shrines, and they pray to renounce any bad deeds from the past year. They also pray for an auspicious New Year. Many Nigerians who are out of the country and away from their families travel home for New Year’s celebrations.
- NEW YORK: In New York, during the holiday season they sell Peppermint Pigs. Everyone in the family takes turns to hit it with a small candy-sized hammer and they all eat a piece of it for good luck and fortune in the coming year.
