Original photo by Anna K Mueller/Shutterstock
New Year’s customs vary around the world, but almost all have common elements. Special foods are common, particularly those thought to bring good luck — from grapes to noodles. But feasts aren’t the only way to ring in the new year. As the world prepares to say goodbye to 2024, here are seven fascinating New Year’s customs and celebrations from other countries.
Twelve Grapes at Midnight, Spain
When the clocks chime at midnight on December 31, Spaniards are less concerned with kissing and more with consuming grapes. According to custom, eating one grape at each strike of the clock will bring prosperity and love in the new year — one grape for each month. Dropping a gold ring in your glass of bubbles is another custom said to ensure good luck. Just don’t swallow it.
New Underwear, Brazil
Bear (bare?) with us — new underwear is a New Year’s thing in Brazil and many parts of Latin America. Guided by the spirit of “ano novo, vida nova” (“new year, new life”), wearing new underwear is rooted in both tradition and superstition. Drop your … hints … before December 31, because underwear that’s a gift is said to be the best luck of all. There’s a color code, as well. Wear white clothing and choose your base layer depending on your wish for the new year: red for passion, green for health, yellow for money, and multi-colored if you’d like a little bit of everything.
Hoppin’ John, Southern United States
Legumes (sometimes with pork) are considered good luck for New Year’s in many cultures, including Italy. In the United States, it’s primarily a Southern tradition. Hoppin’ John combines black-eyed peas, rice, and ham hocks for a delicious and protein-rich one-dish feast. On January 1, it’s often served with collard greens (the color of money) and golden, crispy cornbread.
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St. Sylvester Feast, Austria
December 31 is the feast day of St. Sylvester, and the Austrians celebrate the 33rd Pope (who ruled in the early fourth century CE) by feasting on pork. Specifically, they prepare Sylvesterabend, or roast suckling pig. Cute marzipan (almond paste) pigs decorate tables, and a toast of mulled wine is raised in honor of the saint. Across the cities in Austria, all church bells ring at midnight. In Vienna, a glittering ball is held at the Imperial Palace, and outdoor concerts and dances bring in the new year.
Seven Meals, Estonia
Pack your comfy pants for New Year’s Eve in Estonia, a time for “lucky meals” — typically seven or more in a single day. Tradition says that each meal one eats that day gives the strength of seven, or nine, or even twelve men for the coming year. These numbers are considered especially auspicious (as long as you aren’t counting calories). Popular items include wild boar and marzipan. Since you should also leave something on the plate for spirits and ancestors, perhaps you won’t walk away from the table too full.
Breaking Plates, Denmark
If you wake up in Copenhagen to a pile of smashed pottery on your doorstep New Year’s Day, congratulations are in order. The Danes consider smashing crockery to be good luck, and go out throwing plates to bring New Year’s blessings on their friends and family. Just grab a broom and watch your step. No one is precisely sure how this tradition originated, but one guess is it involved akvavit (a very strong liquor)… and lots of it.
Ōmisoka, Japan
Japan has a wealth of traditions welcoming the new year, a celebration known as Ōmisoka, but toshikoshi-soba (buckwheat noodles) are by far the tastiest. “Year-crossing noodles” are long, symbolizing longevity, but also easily cut, symbolizing cutting ties and letting go of the past year. Other observances include temple bells chiming 108 times. Known as joya no kane, the bells represent the spiritual cleansing of the 108 worldly passions in Buddhist tradition.
Cynthia Barnes has written for the Boston Globe, National Geographic, the Toronto Star and the Discoverer. After loving life in Bangkok, she happily calls Colorado home.
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