5 New Year Traditions Around the World

As 2019 comes to a close, I wanted to share some of the different ways the New Year is ushered in around the globe. This is my favorite holiday and I absolutely love how many different ways it is celebrated around the world.

ITALY

In Italy, particularly in the south, there is an old tradition of getting rid of old or unwanted items around the new year. While this does not particularly sound profound, the twist here is that they do so by throwing away old things (pots, pans, furniture..you name it) right out of the upstairs windows. Needless to say, if you’re taking a stroll around New Year in the south of Italy - keep a keen eye out for falling objects!

In the north of Italy this is a lot less prevalent, but there are places where you would smash plates outside, in front of the house.

Ecuador

Capital city Quito has some peculiar ways to celebrate the coming of the New Year. One of which revolves around the burning of the old things, to give prosperity and good luck to new things to come. However, it isn’t just any old thing - they burn effigies (viejos). The whole tradition is meant to cleanse negative things and bring good things in the new year, and this is generally done in/is accompanied by a huge party in the city with music and fireworks.

The effigies are constructed by the family typically (although they could also be purchased these days) and are made by putting sawdust and hay into old clothes until they eerily start to resemble a body. Then a mask or a paper mâché head is placed on top.

A lot of these are random faces, but often you will see famous cartoon characters. Sometimes people will model the effigy to look like a family member, with the aim to bring them luck and prosperity in the coming year by burning it. Others will represent public figures or even politicians. With the less than loved figures the point is more around getting rid of the old negativity and create a clean start in the coming year.

Another interesting thing that you might see in Ecuador during this time are men dressed in flamboyant female clothing, running around and asking for money. They are called “el Viudas” and they are the widows of the men burning in flames. They will take up space and be insistent that people pay their toll.

Germany

In Germany, some people practice lead pouring, or Bleigießen, around the new year. This practice is aimed at predicting the future. Actually, as time went on and we discovered the harmful effects of lead, people started to use tin and wax instead.

To do this, you heat up the tin or wax (or preciously - lead) in a wooden spoon over a candle until it is liquid. You then pour it into a saucer of water, which will make the liquid substance solidify. The shape is then taken out and interpreted. This is supposed to give you a glimpse into the future coming year.

Other german speaking countries also practice this (Austria and Switzerland) as well as some further away spots like Finland.

Spain

It is a tradition in Spain to eat twelve grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve, one per each bell chime of the clock. Each of the grapes symbolize the months of the coming year and eating them ensures you will have good luck.

People in large cities such as Madrid or Barcelona gather in big squares, eat the grapes and wash them down with Cava in one big festive party.

Some Spaniards will also be wearing some form of red underwear (a bra, a sock, etc.) but this item must have been given to you by someone else.

Ukraine & Russia

Last but not least on my list are the traditions from my neck of the woods. When it comes to Easter Europe and New Year’s Eve - where do I even begin? This day for us is riddled with tons of traditions and specific ways of celebrating as this is arguably the biggest holiday of the year.

Kicking off the Season

Since Russia and Ukraine celebrate Christmas on January 6th and 7th, New Year’s Eve is the first holiday for the holiday season. It is also the holiday that ushers in two weeks of celebrations, so it is very much looked forward to and is hardly ever low key. In this part of the world, celebrations will go on all the way until the Old New Year (yes, this is a thing) on the 14th of January, and it all starts on the 31st.

Most of the typical Christmas traditions (the tree, the gifts, the family aspect) just moved over to New Year’s Eve in soviet countries, as religion was banned with communism. So we would be going out to get the pine tree and decorate it around 29th or 30th of December (and yes, it is referred to as the New Year Pine). This is also why many of the Russian/Ukrainian jews will have a “Christmas tree” in their house.

For many households this evening is also very focused on family, so it is likely that many people will have house parties with their immediate and extended families and close friends. Many people will spend the day preparing food for the table (there will be a lot of it) and making sure the house is clean and tidy. The house is cleaned even if you are going somewhere else for the celebration - you have to start the new year with a clean house.

(Photo clearly not mine.)

Father Frost and Gifts

New Year’s Eve is also when gifts are exchanged. Sometime after midnight, gifts magically appear under the tree. If you have kids - they’ll discover them upon awaking in the morning. With adults it gets a bit trickier and you take turns luring people away or distracting them so someone can place a parcel under the tree without them seeing. After all of the gifts have been placed under the tree, people will sit around and open their gifts.

Presents are allegedly brought over by Ded Moroz, or “Father Frost”. Father Frost is a Slavic version of Santa. He travels on a troika (three horse sled), wears long blue and white robes and travels with his grand daughter Snigyrochka.

Many schools will have day time parties for the kids where everyone will call loudly, in unison, for arrival fo Ded Moroz. He will then show up and proceed to give out gifts as rewards for kids telling poems, singing songs or doing dances.

The Sign

Each year, Russians and Ukrainians look to the animal sign of the coming year to theme the party around. For example, the coming 2020 year is the year of the metallic rat. (We align on the animal aspect with the Chinese calendar, but am not sure where we get the colors from.) Be that as it all may, the coming year is just that - the metallic rat. Now you have to appease the animal. You do this generally with your outfits, decor and the food you select for the table. These should be something that the rat would enjoy. Of course it does not have to be exclusively that, but I will certainly have a huge cheese plate and will be wearing a silvery dress. This is all aimed to appease the rat and thus have it look favorably in the new year.

Farewells, Welcomes & Wish Making

Another belief in Russia is that the way you spend the New Year’s Eve is the way the following year will unfold. Therefore people go out of their way to make this holiday memorable, extravagant and fun. This is also why people are so selective about whom they spend the time with, largely focusing on family and close friends. You will also not see people in Ukraine or Russia in sweatpants for this holiday. In fact, if it not uncommon for people to dress up in full gowns in their house, even if they are not going anywhere. Gown or not, everyone does dress up and puts in extra effort and special delicacies are often purchased for the table and special dishes are made which normally may be too cumbersome to bother with on the regular day.

People will sit down for a late dinner around 9 or 10pm and this is aimed to say goodbye to the old year. Everyone typically reminisces on the year gone by and all of the good things that have happened. Then a fresh bottle of champagne is popped exactly at midnight, and shortly after all of the cheering, hugging and kissing, people will sit down for another meal. This meal is aimed at welcoming the new year and someone will inevitably point out that they can certainly eat as they “haven’t eaten a thing since last year!”

At midnight, it is also believed that if you write down a wish and burn the paper during the chiming of the clock before the stroke of the 12th bell, it will inevitably come true. There is also general belief that magical and unexplainable things happen on this evening.