The new year is all about champagne and fireworks, isn’t it? But have you ever thought about how people around the world celebrate this day by bidding a great farewell to the previous year? Welcoming the new year with open hearts and getting a new year gift for family and friends. From smashing bread on the wall to ward off negative spirits and bad luck to writing a wish on a piece of paper, burning it to ashes, and consuming it with champagne, we have composed a long list of bizarre yet interesting new year’s traditions around the world that have a core meaning embedded in the culture and values of the respective countries.
Japan
Japan’s New Year customs are very similar to those of other Asian countries. They visit a temple on the first few days of January and pray for the good luck and prosperity of their family and friends. On the eve of the new year, every Buddhist temple rings the temple bells 108 times. This is done to get rid of all the negativity from the past. Japanese feast on traditional food items, especially noodles cooked in hot broth. This meal is enjoyed by everyone. Every food item prepared for the new year’s feast symbolizes prosperity, good luck, and abundance. Greeting cards and new year gifts are exchanged amongst loved ones. People also travel to the highest points and spots where the sunrise is visible – because it is believed that the first ray of light brings hope.
Greece
Pomegranates, which are considered a symbol of success, wealth, and fertility, are hung from doors by houses prior to the occasion of New Year. A chosen person is sent to be the first to enter the home, right foot first, on New Year’s Eve, immediately before midnight, after everyone has turned out the lights and left. If done properly, it provides family prosperity for the entire year. The second person will then smash the pomegranate against the door with their right hand. Children are typically chosen for this because they are innocent. Fireworks are an indispensable element of the New Year’s celebrations, just like they are everywhere else on the planet. The tradition is to start the New Year with a good firework display before heading to the clubs and bars to celebrate with friends, regardless of where people gather in groups: in their gardens, on their balconies, in public squares, on the beach, or on a hill.
Russia
Russians believe that how you greet the new year will influence how you spend the rest of the year. They clean their homes and even take sauna baths with the infusion of white birch, eucalyptus, and oak twigs, which are used for several ailments and enhance blood circulation. A lavish New Year’s meal with a wide variety of cuisine and the best wines denotes wealth and prosperity. People assemble around the table to remember the enjoyable events of the year before saying farewell to the previous year.
The typical Russian New Year gifts are t-shirts, underpants, socks, and other items. Good wishes are exchanged as a champagne toast is lifted as the clock strikes twelve. The wish is written on paper, burned to ashes, then dissolved in champagne, and then consumed. The Russians believe that doing this will guarantee the fulfillment of your wishes.
Ireland
As beautiful as Ireland is, the new year’s traditions are both interesting and amusing. They clean their homes and keep it dust free. They welcome the new year with tidy homes because they believe in starting the new year with new hope. One of the most heartfelt customs involves placing a seat at the dinner table for a deceased family member and leaving it unoccupied. In order to convey to the family that they wished to make it as simple as possible for the spirit of their loved one to return to the family home, the front door was occasionally left unlatched.
One of the more bizarre customs entailed beating bread on the house’s walls to ward off ill luck and evil spirits. Some customs also considered it a means of assuring good fortune and plenty of bread for the upcoming year. Go for more gift ideas here.
