In a little bit over one week, we will be ringing in 2013. Do you have plans yet? If so, what are you doing?
Ever since we had the boys, our New Years Eves have been rather bleak when it comes to the excitement department. One year, one of my closest friends and her family came over…we had a delicious dinner, put the boys to bed (they were both babies), and planted ourselves on the couch to watch the New Years’ Eve shows. By about 10:00 pm, both husbands were sleeping and Keren and I were fighting SO HARD to make it till midnight. I think it was around 11:30 pm when we finally threw in the towel, woke up our sleeping significant others, and went to bed.
This year I am excited to say we have plans to go to our best friends’ house for dinner and fun, with kids and all. Do you think we will make it till midnight? I’ll keep you posted but the odds are against us.
Here are some cool NYE rituals from around the world…maybe you can try one of them yourself!
JAPAN – A New Year is a symbol of renewal and the most important time of the year in Japan. People hold Bonenkai parties (a.k.a. forget the year parties) where they say good-bye to any bad issues and happenings that occurred during that year, and welcome the new beginning of a new year. People scrub their homes, ridding it of the “bad”. (I need to do that – scrub the home that is!) At midnight on Dec. 31, Buddhist temples strike their gongs 108 times, in an effort to expel 108 types of human weakness.
MEXICO – if you are a woman, you put on one of two colors of underwear for New Year’s Eve. If you choose the yellow pair, you are hoping for money in the new year. The red pair symbolizes the wish for new love.
SPAIN – if you happen to be in Spain when the ball drops, be sure to eat 12 grapes. They symbolize the security of twelve happy months in the coming year. Remind me to pack grapes for my party, please!!
THE NETHERLANDS – It’s time to make bonfires with your Christmas trees on New Year’s Eve in The Netherlands. This signifies purging the old and welcoming in the new!
RIO DE JANERIO – At midnight, people throw flowers into the ocean.
GREECE – New Year’s coincides with the festival of Saint Basil, who helped found the Greek Orthodox Church. A cool tradition – the St. Basil’s Cake…a coin is baked inside the cake, and whoever finds it is supposed to get good luck for the coming year.
DENMARK – If you have a huge pile of broken dishes, it is thought that you have the most loyal friends. That’s one way to get rid of that set of plates you didn’t really want anymore LOL…
ESTONIA – It is believed that on New Year’s Eve, you should eat seven, nine, or twelve times, as these are considered lucky numbers. For each meal consumed, it is believed that the person gains the strength of that many men the following year. Meals should not be completely finished—some food should be left for ancestors and spirits who visit the house on New Year’s Eve.
ITALY – Break out the red underwear if you are going to be in Italy for New Year’s Eve! Also, an old tradition that I do not believe is followed much anymore, is one of throwing all old things that you do not use anymore out the window! I would be there all night…
RUSSIA – I didn’t know this but the Communist regime banned the celebration of Christmas, so New Year became the most celebrated holiday. Thankfully they can now freely celebrate Christmas if they wish, but Russians still hold New Year as one of the biggest holidays.
I loved researching this topic. It is so interesting to learn about different countries’ and cultures’ takes on holidays. So far, I need to buy grapes, red and yellow underwear, eat twelve times…the list goes on!
Susi says
This is an interesting list. May I add that in Germany New Years is the big night for fireworks. I still miss that a bit. Also, I grew up in Communist East Germany before the wall fell and Christmas was not banned – only the religious aspects of it. The only “religion” under the Communist regime was the Communist party line!!!! I believe that was similar to the regime in the Soviet Union at the time.
Dana says
I love fireworks! Thank you for adding Germany’s tradition and also for the information about Christmas and how one was not able to celebrate it religiously.
What are you doing for New Years?