Our Top 5 New Year’s Eve Traditions From Across the World
Read on for an insight into some peculiar traditions from around the world - that we may or may not be adopting ourselves this year!
New Year's Eve
New Year’s Eve is a huge occasion here in the UK and celebrations from one city to the other tend to be fairly similar in what people enjoy doing. Drinking, eating, dancing – people love to see in the New Year in style.
But are these activities the same across the world?
In our research, we’ve discovered some quirky New Year’s traditions celebrated around the globe, some of which you may want to adopt for your own parties this year!
01.
Grape Eating In Spain
Tradition in Spain (and other Spanish-speaking countries) dictates that once the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, everyone in the country is to eat 12 grapes. Each grape is designed to represent one of the following 12 months and the concept is supposed to bring luck for the coming year.
In the larger cities in Spain, huge parties are thrown in the centre of the city at midnight and locals come together to enjoy their grapes at midnight together.
02.
Plate Throwing in Denmark
A very different approach to celebrating at midnight, the people of Denmark get together with friends and family for parties on New Year’s Eve and once the clock strikes 12, they throw old plates and glasses against the door to banish bad spirits from the year before.
As well as this, people in Denmark like to ‘leap’ into the new year by standing on chairs before the clock hits midnight and as the clock chimes, they jump off to start the new year right.
03.
First Footing in Scotland
New Year celebrations in Scotland are known as Hogmanay and one of their biggest traditions is something called ‘first footing’.
The idea is that whoever is the first person to cross the threshold of a home once the New Year has commenced, must be bearing a gift. The gift doesn’t have to be something hugely expensive or extravagant but the concept of bringing luck and joy to a household at the start of the New Year is a great concept!
04.
Onion Hanging in Greece
Yes, you read that right, the New Year’s traditions in Greece involve onions. In Greece, it is tradition to hang an onion on the front door of your home on New Year’s Eve and then in the morning, parents wake their children up on the first day of the New Year by tapping them on the head with the onion.
The ritual is supposed to bring a sense of rebirth to the household as you see in the New Year.
05.
Round Shapes in the Philippines
A big New Year’s Eve tradition in the Philippines is to use circles and round shapes as decorations. Designed to represent coins, these decorations are thought to wish wealth on the people of the country as they head into the New Year.
Many people wear polka dot clothing on New Year’s Eve in the Philippines whilst families arrange circular fruits in round arrangements in their home, in line with the tradition.
So, if you’re looking to introduce some new traditions into your New Year’s celebrations, why not try some of these?
Or if you’d rather stick to the typical tradition of attending a huge party on New Year’s Eve, our New Year’s Eve ball may be the perfect option for you!
