The very concept of a ‘new year,’ a ‘new beginning’ can
bring out the best (and sometimes the worst) in people. It can also find us
participating in bizarre activities in hopes of making the next year, the
New Year, the best it can be. Here is a short glimpse into some of the amusing
and often strange ways people around the world celebrate the ringing in of the
new.
No surprise, our journey starts in Italy, where many, many
New Year’s traditions abound. In the span of time, this country was, not so
very long ago, not a unified nation but a conglomerate of City/States, each
with their own distinctive dialects and traditions, individuality that still
exists today. Yet some traditions have spread throughout the entirety of the
land.
If you’re walking the streets in Italy at the stroke of
midnight, beware of falling objects. It is an old Italian custom to throw old
things out the window to symbolize readiness to accept the New Year.
Looking for some luck in the coming year? The Italians say
wearing red underwear to ring in the New Year does just that. In other countries,
it is believed red will bring love, while wearing yellow underwear fosters good
luck.
In Romanian, farmers believe that on the cusp of the New
Year, horses can talk. They also believe it’s a bad omen if you understand
their words. Perhaps this might be cause for worry no matter what day of the
year it is.
Stepping forward with your right foot at exactly 12:00 a.m.
will literally and figuratively have you start off the new year on the right
foot, or so it is believed in Argentina.
At the stroke of midnight, attempt to stuff 12 grapes in
your mouth. If successful, Spaniards believe you can expect to achieve good
luck in the coming year.
In El Salvador, they crack an egg into a glass bowl at
midnight and leave it on the windowsill overnight. Whatever figure it has made
in the morning will portend the fortune for the coming year.
Guatemalans grab 12 pennies at 12 a.m. and go outside. Throw
the
pennies behind you while you face the opposite end of the street. They
believe it will bring the participant money in the coming year.
Smart Russians incorporate alcohol into their festivities. Their
tradition consists of writing a wish on a piece of paper, burning it, mixing
the ashes in a glass of champagne, and drinking it before 12:01 a.m. Interesting.
Perhaps not as odd as some of the above, in Japan they ring
all of their bells 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist belief that this
brings cleanness. They also believe smiling as the New Year rings in will bring
good luck.
In Switzerland, they celebrate the New Year by dropping ice
cream on the floor. Seems like a waste of good ice cream.
Columbians carry their suitcases around with them all day in
hopes of having a travel-filled year.
In Denmark they take out the anger of the old year by
throwing plates against doors for good luck, while the Irish throw bread
against the walls to rid homes of old spirits.
Americans have their own peculiarities. On New Year’s day
they open all the doors and windows, letting out the old year and welcoming in the
new. It’s also believed that seeing a red cardinal on New Year’s day is an omen
for good luck in the coming year.
Whichever odd--or not so odd--way in which you welcome the New Year--wish and hope for a better coming year--believing it, believing it can always be
better, is the most important.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
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