10 INTERESTING NEW YEAR'S TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
You've taken the time to reflect made your pre resolutions, and are ready to welcome the new year. For many, the celebration revolves around champagne toasts, fireworks, a midnight kiss or just cuddling up on the couch. In some corners of the world however, the celebration is much more exotic, involving everything from breaking dishes, running around with suitcases, wearing colorful underwear to eating twelve grapes as the clock strikes midnight. Here, are 10 interesting New Year's Eve traditions from around the world.
UNITED STATES – TIMES SQUARE
The city of New York is one of the most popular New Years Eve destinations and the city’s iconic public square- Times Square, is where most head to watch the ball drop while others all over the USA gather around the TV, in bars and at their friends homes just to watch the ball drop as they bring in the New Year!
SPAIN – GRAPE EATING
Spaniards attempt to stuff their mouths with 12 grapes all at once—one for each chime of the clock during the countdown to midnight!
PERU - TAKANAKUY FESTIVAL
Every year at the end of December people in this small Peruvian village fist fight to settle their differences. They then start the year off on a clean slate. Who’s ready? I got my boxing gloves on!
SOUTH AFRICA - Throwing Furniture
Residents of Johannesburg, South Africa, throw old furniture out of their windows. Getting rid of unneeded clutter symbolizes a fresh start.
ECUADOR – Burning Scarecrow
In Ecuador they celebrate the New Year by burning paper filled scarecrows at midnight. They also burn photographs from the last year. All in the name of good fortune.
DENMARK – Smashing Plates
The big New Year’s Eve tradition in Denmark involves smashing plates against your friends’ front doors. Basically, you’re very popular if you find a pile of broken plates on the doorstep at midnight. According to the tradition, this brings good luck. So the more smashed plates, the more you’ll get!
CHILE – Cemetery Sleepover
In Chile families spend the night in the company of their deceased loved ones by sleeping at the cemetery.
SOUTH AMERICA – Colored Underwear
In some South American countries wearing colored underwear will determine your fate for the New Year. Red underwear means you’ll find love. Gold means wealth, and white signifies peace. What color underwear will you be wearing tonight when the clock strikes?
JAPAN – 108 Bell Rings
In Japan they ring all of their bells 108 times in alignment with the Buddhist belief that this brings cleanness. It’s also considered good to be smiling going into the New Year as it supposedly brings good luck.
COLUMBIA – Suitcase Tradition
If you’re unlucky enough not to be in Colombia, New Year’s Eve is your best chance to rectify this appalling situation. Grab your suitcase and run around your block as fast as you can because this is exactly what they do in Columbia to bring in the New Years which is said to bring them good luck of more travels in the coming year! If you do this correctly, and in the right spirit, you are absolutely guaranteed to travel this year.
So if you see me running around with a suitcase… please don’t ask…. You all know that I love to TRAVEL!My favorite New Year's Eve tradition is to either spend it with family to find a new destination somewhere in the world to experience a new one.... also a New Year's kiss is always fun also! What do you do to celebrate the New Year or what is something you would love to do or where is somewhere you would like to go?
Happy New Year's to all of you! Let's go and make this your best year yet and promise today that you will either begin or continue to live the BestLifeEver and I look forward to seeing you on the beaches of the world.
Hugs, Kisses + Lots of Love!
