On January 2, the American "Time" magazine recently published an article entitled "Eight Traditions to Celebrate the New Year Around the World", written by Mallory Munche. The following is an excerpt from the article:
From the famous Times Square crystal ball landing to hanging onions, there are so many ways to celebrate the New Year around the world, and here's an introduction to some of the New Year's traditions:
Jumping into the waves and wearing white clothes.
In Brazil, revelers often go to the beach in white to celebrate the New Year.
On the seashore, some people follow the tradition of offering sacrifices to Yemanya, the goddess of the sea of the Afro-Brazilian religion. The offerings were placed on the ship and pushed into the sea. Traditionally, those who attend the celebration also take on the waves seven times to thank Yemanya for the good things that Yemanya has brought over the past year. After the jump, in order to avoid bad luck, people face the sea and retreat until their feet are above the water.
The first foot" In Scotland, New Year's Eve is called 'hogmanay', and one tradition is 'first foot' – literally the first foot on a visit after midnight. According to tradition, to ensure good luck, the first visitor should be a tall, dark-haired man with coals, shortbread, salt, a bun and whiskey.
In modern times, in keeping with this tradition, people sometimes have a guest who fits the above description leave before midnight so that they can knock on the door for the New Year, according to The Scotsman.
Hang onions. In Greece, families traditionally go to church on New Year's Day. At the end of the service, they would find an onion to hang on the door or in their home as a symbol of health, fertility, and longevity.
Look for 12 round fruits.
In the Philippines, New Year's celebrations feature round items as it is believed that the circle symbolizes consummation. People pick 12 round fruits, which correspond to the 12 months of the year. People would also fill their pockets with coins or put coins on the table to "make money", and they would wear clothes with polka dot patterns for good luck.
Watch British comedy.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, since 1972, the Germans and some other Europeans have had a tradition of a British black-and-white comedy of the 60s of the 20th century on New Year's Eve. Titled "Ninety Birthdays" (aka "One Man's Dinner") tells the story of a housekeeper who serves his 90-year-old employer and her deceased hypothetical guests.
Wander the streets with a suitcase.
In some Latin American countries, people walk or run around the block with empty suitcases to bring good luck and hope for more travel in the new year.
Step into the new year.
The Danes are really "crossing" into the new year. When the New Year's bell rings, they stand on a chair or couch and stride down and down. If you forget about the "cross" year, it will bring bad luck to the whole new year.
Times Square crystal ball landing.
Since 1907, people have been holding a ceremony to land a crystal ball on New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York, USA. Today, thousands of revelers gather in Times Square to wait for hours before midnight. Times Square officials say it is estimated that more than 1 billion people will watch the crystal ball landing ceremony on television.
Eat lentils. According to the Buenos Aires Economic News Network in Argentina on December 29, 2023, on Chinese New Year's Eve, almost all cities in the world will have traditional fireworks, and in Anglo-Saxon countries, it is usually accompanied by the song "Friendship Lasts Forever".
Italy traditionally has a series of superstitious practices on the first day of the new year, such as wearing red underwear. There are also people who eat lentils for dinner on December 31 in the hope of making a fortune in the new year. Another tradition is to kiss under mistletoe as a sign of good luck.
12 grapes.
In Spain, there is a tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, one at every time the clock strikes.
Listen to the bells. In Japan, before midnight, families go to temples to drink sake and listen to 108 bells that announce the arrival of the new year. It is believed that it is the number of sins that a person commits in a year, and in this way purifies oneself.
Compiled by Su Jiawei, Hu Wei).