Unusual New Year traditions from different countries of the world: rituals and customs

From Hong Kong to Lisbon, from Sydney to Buenos Aires, billions of people on the planet participate in a grand celebration on the night of December 31 to January 1. However, behind the external similarities — champagne, fireworks and congratulations — there is an amazing variety of rituals and customs that go back centuries. About how to celebrate the New Year in different countries — in the material of Izvestia.

European New Year traditions: customs in Spain, Italy and the UK

In the countries of the Old World, where many New Year traditions have just begun, each nation keeps its own unique rituals. In the UK, the central moment of the holiday is not only the famous speech of the monarch, but also the first guest to cross the threshold of the house after midnight. It is believed that a dark—haired man bringing symbolic gifts — a coal, bread and a coin - will ensure prosperity and good luck to the house. This custom, known as First Footing, is strictly observed in many families in Scotland and Northern England.

In Italy, the last day of the year is associated with the ancient tradition of throwing away old furniture. Residents of the Apennines, especially in the south of the country, get rid of unnecessary things by throwing them right out of the windows. This symbolic gesture means saying goodbye to the past and being ready for renewal. In Spain, in order to attract prosperity, dexterity and speed are required: you need to manage to eat 12 grapes at 12 o'clock on the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid, making one wish for each berry.

New Year's Eve traditions in Asia: Japan, China and Korea

Asian traditions are often filled with deep symbolism aimed at attracting good luck and driving away evil spirits. In Japan, the New Year, or O-shogatsu, is primarily a family holiday, accompanied by visits to temples in the first seconds of the new year. The bells of Buddhist temples beat 108 strokes, purifying from worldly passions. Kadomatsu ornaments made of bamboo, pine and fern appear on the doors of houses, designed to appease the deity of the New Year.

In China, where the Lunar New Year remains the main event, January 1 is celebrated rather modestly. However, the Chinese diaspora around the world retains its customs. The most important of them is the tradition of giving money in red envelopes — hongbao. The gift symbolizes the wish for financial well-being and is passed from the elders to the younger ones. In South Korea, the celebration of Sollal (Lunar New Year) also includes deep bows in front of older relatives and a ritual meal.

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New Year traditions of the countries of the world: Brazil, Mexico and Colombia

In the Americas and Africa, New Year's traditions are a bizarre mix of ancient beliefs and modern borrowings. In Brazil, for example, millions of people in white clothes go to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to bring gifts to the goddess of the sea, Iemange. Flowers and candles are sent to the ocean on the waves: if the offering returns to the shore, it means that the goddess did not accept the gift, and if it floats away, the wish will come true.

In Mexico, the celebration is marked by a special divination. Two girls, rotating a boiled egg over a vessel of water, try to predict the future. The shape that the protein takes when it sinks into the water is interpreted as a symbol of upcoming events. And in Colombia, it's common to run around the block with a suitcase at exactly midnight. It is believed that this ritual guarantees a year full of travel and new discoveries.

New Year's rituals for good luck: Greek pomegranates and Scandinavian logs

Many rituals around the world are united by one goal — to ensure well-being, health and wealth in the coming year. In Greece, for example, at exactly midnight, the head of the family goes outside and violently smashes a ripe pomegranate against the wall of the house. The grains flying in all directions symbolize the abundance and joy that will fill the house in the new year. The success of the ritual depends on how far the grains have spread.

In Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark and Norway, it is customary to keep a Christmas log until the New Year. His burning in the fireplace on December 31st symbolizes the burning of all the failures and problems of the past year. The ashes from the log are then scattered to the wind or buried in the ground, which completes the purification cycle. New Year's swims are popular in the Netherlands, the most famous of which takes place in the North Sea. Daredevils diving into the icy water believe that it will harden their spirit and body for the whole coming year.

New Year's Eve is becoming not just a calendar milestone, but a global event that unites humanity in the pursuit of happiness. Regardless of latitude and longitude, people perform similar rituals aimed at attracting good luck, saying goodbye to the past and hoping for a bright future.

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