10 BIZARRE NEW YEAR'S TRADITIONS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD

 Hi everyone here we are, another year has gone and a new one is coming. Very soon it will be 2020 and we’ll be living in a new decade. Let’s discover more about strange New Year’s Day traditions from all over the world.

1) Round things – Philippines

In the Philippines New Year’s Day is about one thing, and one thing only; round stuff. Hoping to bring prosperity and wealth for the year ahead, they try to use as many round things as possible. They wear clothes with round decorations, they eat round food, they name round things, if it’s round, they want it.

 2) Denmark – Breaking Dishes

Here’s another one. Apparently Danish people loves to throw things. They collect dishes all year long and throw them against friend’s and neighbour’s front doors on the New Year’s Eve. It’s a bit of a popular contest as the bigger the pile of broken fragments is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year. Unfortunately, in big cities it’s a dying tradition, but smashing is still fun for those who still practise it.

 3) Eating 12 grapes - Spain

In Spain a New Year’s Eve tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity. People instead of doing a countdown start to fill their mouth of grapes, one grape one wish, one for every ring of the bell. The tradition dates back to 1909 when vine growers in Alicante came up with this idea in order to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.

 4) 108 rings - Japan

In Japan bells are rang 108 times in a Buddhist tradition that is believed to banish all human sins.

 5) Coloured underwear – South America

In South American countries such as Mexico, Bolivia and Brazil, your fortunes for the new year are all decided by your underpants. Those who want to find love wear red underwear, yellow underpants are worn to bring wealth and luck.

 6) Kissing – United States

They believe kissing at midnight as the year approaches, is an auspicious gesture that purifies everything that is evil. Or it’s a good excuse to kiss someone you really like.

 7) Water Buckets– Puerto Rico

In some parts of Puerto Rico Buckets of water are thrown out the windows to drive away evil spirits.

 8) Animal Spirits– Romania 

 

Romania is a country steeped in tradition. Especially in rural areas, New Year’s Eve highlights include mask dances and ceremonies about death and rebirth. Dancers dress up in furs then dance from house to house to drive evil spirits away. The dance of the bear is the most popular.

 9) Tree Plants– Siberia

 

Brave people in Siberia, plant trees underneath frozen lakes and rivers on New Year festivity. Much like a Christmas tree, the Siberian New Year Tree is supposed to signify the coming of Father Frost, but its planting also symbolizes starting over.

 

 10) Throw flowers to the sea – Brazil

In Brazil, many locals believe in wearing white and throwing white flowers and candles into the ocean as an offering to Iemanja, the pagan Afro-Brazilian Goddess of the Sea. If the ocean returns your offerings, then the goddess did not accept them.

 

FRANCESCA