Tag: New Year's Eve

Whether you like to be home and cozy or out partying when the clock strikes midnight, there’s no right or wrong way to ring in the New Year. What’s interesting, though, is the way some traditions have stood the test of time — dating back to ancient Babylon, some historians say —and how rituals vary from place to place. For example, many countries have a history of eating round foods on New Year’s, since their coin-like shape symbolizes prosperity, but in one place that may mean eating black-eyed peas, while in another it looks like a buffet of round citrus fruits.For those looking to explore new rituals with their families, here are some New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world. Some date back hundreds if not thousands of years, while others are relatively new. There are plenty ideas of good-luck foods to eat, or possibly smash, or hide under the pillow or bed, depending on the culture. There are a few that focus more on prognostication and looking for signs about the year to come, and there are more than one that involve pigs. (So many pigs.) Take your pick, and get ready for good things in the year to come!Watch the big dropNew Year’s Eve countdowns are synonymous with Times Square and its famous annual ball drop. This year’s ball is forging its own new tradition: It’s debuting Waterford Crystals in circular shapes, which is a change from the triangles they’ve been using since 1999. In total, there are 5,280 crystals and LED light pucks on this year’s ball, which makes it weigh in at 12,350 pounds. YAnd while the Times Square ball gets all the glory, it’s not the only symbol counting down the seconds until the new year. Atlanta, Georgia, has used a giant peach (which will now be a drone show instead of a traditional drop); Plymouth, Wisconsin, lowers a big slice of cheese; Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, drops a sparkling mushroom; and Hackettstown, New Jersey, drops a giant M&M. Now that’s a sweet way to start a new year!Plan a movie marathonWhether it was “The Twilight Zone” or “The Honeymooners,” binging TV marathons used to be the thing to do on New Year’s Day. But for those who aren’t into classic television, it might be better to program your own. Movies like “When Harry Met Sally,””Phantom Thread,” “Highball,” “The Poseidon Adventure,” and “Strange Days” all have key scenes set at New Year’s, and you can mix and match depending on the type of movie mood you’re in. Eat 12 grapesIn Spain the tradition is to eat one grape at each stroke of midnight.Those who do it are promised good luck for the next year — if the rules are followed: “Eating one grape at each of midnight’s 12 clock chimes guarantees you a lucky year—if and only if you simultaneously ruminate on their significance,” Atlas Obscura reports. “If you fail to conscientiously finish your grapes by the time the clock stops chiming, you’ll face misfortune in the new year.” Jump seven wavesSpending New Year’s Eve on the beach sounds nice in and of itself, but in Brazil it’s believed that your luck increases if you get in the surf and jump over seven waves — one for each of the divine spirits of the Umbanda religion. Revelers also get one wish for each wave, which is an added incentive to get in the water. Dream of the futureMost people may be familiar with mistletoe traditions associated with Christmas (and kissing). In Ireland, there are also rituals involving the plant on New Year’s Eve, and they are no less romantic. According to custom, those who put mistletoe (or holly, or ivy) under their pillow before you go to bed on Dec. 31 will have dreams of their future partner. It’s one reason not to stay up all night. Deck out the doorEveryone wants to invite growth and prosperity into their houses for the new year. How do the Greeks do it? They hang bundles of onions over the door, since onions have been known to sprout even when no one pays attention to them, which makes them good symbols of fertility and abundance. Wear whiteMillions of people gather along Brazil’s beaches to celebrate the new year, and most of them are color-coordinated. There, it’s a tradition to wear white, a color that symbolizes good luck and peace — and one that makes for great, matching photo opps!Make Hoppin’ JohnThe mix of black-eyed peas, pork and rice is delicious no matter when you eat it. But the dish carries extra significance if it’s eaten on Jan. 1, since many believe it’ll bring luck, peace and prosperity for the rest of the year.According to History.com, “Hoppin’ John was, and still is, often eaten with collard greens, which can resemble paper money, and ‘golden’ cornbread. The peas themselves represent coins. Some families boost the potential of their Hoppin’ John by placing a penny underneath the dishes—or adding extra pork, which is thought to bring more luck.”Get the Good Housekeeping recipe for Hoppin’ John » Leap into 2026Celebrants can run into the new year. They can dance into the new year. Or, they can do what they do in Denmark, which is stand on a chair and “leap” into the new year as the clock strikes midnight. It’s good luck if you do it—doubly so if you don’t land on your face—and bad luck if you forget.Make a resolutionHistorians believe that the idea of a New Year’s resolutions, in one form of another, dates back more than 4,000 years. They say the Babylonians, one of the first cultures to actually celebrate the changing of the year, made promises to pay debts or return borrowed objects. If they could do it, so can you. Give more giftsChristmas was forbidden in Soviet Russia, so New Year’s became the big gift-giving occasion during that time. Presents were delivered not by Santa but by Ded Moroz, or Father Frost, often aided by his granddaughter, Snegourochka. Anyone ready for another round of gift-giving?Plant a smoochFinding someone to kiss at midnight has been the inspiration for songs, rom-coms, and other New Year’s tales. But just where did the idea come from? According to the Washington Post, the tradition finds its roots in English and German folklore, but it wasn’t just about finding romance. It was believed that it’s “the first person with whom a person came in contact that dictated the year’s destiny,” so don’t plant your lips on any old so-and-so. Eat round foodsThere are so many New Year’s Eve traditions around foods, and lots of cultures say that eating round foods—reminiscent of coins or money — will lead to prosperity. In Italy, lentils serve the same function as the black-eyed peas in Hoppin’ John. And in the Philippines, it’s customary to eat 12 round fruits, one for every month, to ensure a year of abundance. The fruits usually take center stage at the table for the media noche, or the midnight meal.Dot it upIt’s not just what you eat on New Year’s Eve that can attract prosperity — what you wear may play a role, too, at least according to tradition in the Philippines. There, people wear polka dots on Dec. 31, since the pattern represents the same thing round fruits do. Throwing a few coins in the pockets doesn’t hurt, either. Buy a new lucky charmIn Germany and Austria, there are a few different lucky symbols that you can gift to friends and family to bring them good fortune. These include pigs (a sign of wealth), lucky pennies, horseshoes, toadstools, ladybugs, clovers, and chimney sweeps. Visitors can buy little tokens of these lucky charms at a holiday market — or get edible ones made out of marzipan or pastry. Yum!Turn lemons into pigsNot just limited to treats in Austria and Germany, pigs feature in many New Year Eve’s traditions, typically because they’re a symbol of prosperity. To invite that wealth into a home, some have transformed their lemons into piglets they can display on a table. It’s usually done by using the nub at the end as a snout, adding cloves for the eyes, sticking toothpicks at the bottom for feet, and cutting slits into the peel to make ears and a mouth. For extra luck, a penny is placed in the mouth as well. Scare away the spiritsHere’s a tradition that helps bring good vibes to the new year and lets you take out some of your aggression over the last one: In Ireland, it’s customary to chase away bad spirits by banging bread on the walls and doors of the house. It’s also a tradition to do a New Year’s tidying up, presumably from all of the crumbs.Color-code the underwearCertain countries, especially in Latin America, believe that the color of the underwear you wear on Dec. 31 can bring good things to you in the next 12 months. Yellow is for luck, red is for love, and white undies bring peace. Just so long as they’re also clean and free of holes! Pack lightIn fact, pack nothing at all. In Colombia, people take empty suitcases and run around the block as fast as they can, right foot first. It’s supposed to guarantee a year filled with travel. One writer for the Tampa Bay Times tried it with her Colombian husband in her Florida neighborhood. “Upon seeing two silhouettes tearing down the street at midnight with backpacks in their arms, our neighbors who were outside to watch fireworks made a beeline to their front doors. We worried they were calling the police.” The writer did, however, travel to Colombia that year. So hey, maybe it works!Do something fishyPork for wealth, round foods for prosperity, what else can make a New Year’s meal complete? Some traditions say fish. Why? Fish can only swim in one direction — forward — much like the endless march of time. Start off the year with some omega-3’s, and you might have a healthy year, too. Open the windows and doorsNo one wants the old year, and all its baggage, hanging around. A common superstition says that keeping the windows and doors open will let the old year out so the new one can arrive in its place. Just makes sure you also have some cozy blankets to snuggle in while waiting for the exchange to happen.Smash the peppermint pigIn upstate New York, they sell special peppermint pigs all throughout the holiday season. Everyone gets to take a turn hitting it with a special candy-size hammer and eating a piece for good fortune in the coming year. The peppermint is very strong, so it’s recommended to only take a small piece. At least everyone will start the year with fresh breath! Try to predict what’ll come nextIn Germany, you can buy a Bleigießen (Bleigiessen) kit which will supposedly give you hints for what’s to come in the year ahead. The tradition is to melt lead (now tin or wax, since lead is poisonous) on a spoon over a candle and then pour the metal into cold water. The resulting shape will reveal your fortune. Round balls represent good luck rolling your way, for example, while swords predict risk-taking.Smash a pomegranateIn Turkey, pomegranates are symbols of abundance. Eating them is great, sure—but those who really want a good 2026 will smash the fruit on their doorstep instead. The more pieces there are and the farther they spread, the more prosperous the year will be. For a little extra luck, a sprinkle of salt in front of the door is said to bring peace. Sing “Auld Lang Syne””Auld Lang Syne” is often credited to Scottish poet Robert Burns, who sent it to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788. But the writer himself admits that he didn’t write the lyrics; he was just the first to transcribe an old folk song. If you really want to impress the other members of your party, learn the other verses (there are 10 in total).Hide a surpriseIn Greece, New Year’s dessert isn’t just a treat, it’s a game of chance. Guests eat vasilopita, or a cake or sweet bread that has a coin baked into it. Whoever finds the coin will have good luck for the next year! In Scandinavian countries, they do something similar with rice pudding, served either at New Year’s or Christmas. One portion will have a peeled almond in it, and whoever finds it in their bowl is assured of luck in the new year and might even win a prize. Throw water out the windowLook out below! In Puerto Rico, they believe that dumping a bucket of water out the window drives away evil spirits. If that seems a little too unfair to the people who might be passing by, Puerto Ricans also sprinkle sugar outside their houses to invite the good luck in, which is a little sweeter (pun intended).Eat long foodsIn Japan, it’s traditional to eat “toshikoshi soba,” a dish with buckwheat noodles that’s served hot or cold. The long noodles symbolize longevity, and the hearty buckwheat plant represents resilience. Listen for bellsIn Japan, for ōmisoka, buddhist temple bells ring out 108 times as in the lead-up to midnight. Each chime is supposed to root out a worldly passion, such as anger, suspicion, or lust. The last toll comes at midnight, to start the next year out on a vice-free foot.Grab a potatoIn Colombia, it’s possible to let potatoes predict the financial outlook of the next 12 months. The custom is to put three potatoes under each family member’s bed: one peeled, one half-peeled, and one unpeeled. Each person has to grab one without looking, and that will determine if the year is a good one for money (the unpeeled potato), a bad one (the peeled one), or half-and-half (the half-peeled potato). At the very least, participants will have enough to make mashed potatoes. Burn the old yearIn Ecuador, the bad parts of the old year — or año viejo — are turned into effigies and burned. People make sawdust-filled dummies out of politicians, pop-culture figures, and other characters, and then burn them at midnight as a sort of cleansing ritual. For extra good-luck points, participants try to jump over the flames 12 times, once for every month.Take a dipSince the early 1900s, it’s been a tradition to start off Jan. 1 by submerging in freezing cold water, a ritual known as a Polar Bear Plunge. Often, participants with a high tolerance for the cold use the chilly swim as an opportunity to raise money for local nonprofits, so all of that teeth-chattering goes for a good cause. Sing for candyKids didn’t get enough candy on Halloween? In Norway, they have a tradition called Nyttarsbukk, where the little ones can go door-to-door and sing New Year’s Eve songs in exchange for sweets. It’s like caroling and trick-or-treating rolled into one.Spice up the champagneIn Russia, Champagne gets an extra ingredient on New Year’s: Revelers write a wish down on a piece of paper, burn it and add the ashes to the drink. It all has to be done before the first and last stroke of midnight, too. Bottoms up! Invite the first guest of the new yearThe first person through the door on the New Year’s Day may set the tone for the coming months. In Scotland, the Isle of Man, and some other parts of Northern England, the “first footer,” as it was called, was extremely important. Tradition in those parts of the world states to select a man who is tall and dark (as a protection against Vikings), who would come with simple gifts of coal, salt, shortbread, and whisky, representing the basic needs of heat, food, and drink.