Stranger Traditions

   When we think about New Year´s, we think about fireworks, being with our family to celebrate the new coming year, watching the news for the celebrations around the world, eating your favorite food,  the midnight count down, and so on. Some families have their traditions to bring good luck, such as wearing red underwear for luck in love, or eating 12 grapes, one for each month for good luck, or just about anything you can think about that brings good luck.   

   Common traditions in the U.S. include the ball drop at Time Square in New York City, kissing at midnight, fireworks, and so on.  But around the world countries have different and strange traditions. Keep reading and find out what some of them are.

   In Peru in the Province of Chumbivilcas, if you have differences with someone, on December 25 and 26 you have a fist fight with that someone and settle your problems. Once done, you start off the year on a clean slate. 

   Talca is a city in central Chile`s Maule region known for it’s wineries. The people of Talca have the tradition of going to the cemetery on New Year`s Eve and spending the night with their deceased ancestors and friends. This might seem appalling to some, but the people of Talca say it brings peace to their souls and guarantees good luck for the New Year.

   South Africa, home of the 2010 World Cup, has a baffling tradition. When the clock is about to strike 12  o’clock, the residents start throwing their old furniture out the window. They say by doing this it will bring good luck, and bring new and vigorous things. 

   Bolivia, home to the highest capital city in the world, has a tradition in which people bake coins into sweets and whoever gets the coin has good luck for the next year.

   Colombia, the second most bio-diverse country in the world, has the tradition where on the last day of December the residents carry a suitcase wherever they go, all day long. In hopes of having a year filled with traveling.

   In Romania, the farmers who have cows, try to communicate with them. If the cows talk back, they have succeeded. They will have good luck for the New Year.  

     Ireland, the country where the Titanic was built, on December 31 the citizens get their bags of bread out, and start hitting their wall with them. For this reason, they say it will get rid of all bad spirits and bring new things. 

   Panama, the only place in the world where you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic, have a tradition that is a bit weird, they burn effigies of everyone and anyone famous. This tradition brings them good luck. 

   In Denmark everyone saves all their unused dishes and plates until the 31st of December, and when the time comes, they shatter the dishes against neighboring front doors. The bigger the pile you end up with, the more luck you will have in the upcoming year! 

   In Japan, the country that is made up of 6,852 island, the people ring all of their bells 108 times in sequence with the Buddhist belief that this brings cleanliness. It’s also considered good to be smiling going into the New Year as it supposedly brings good luck. 

   In Spain, the country who produces over half of the worlds olive oil, many people believe that to kick the new year off on the right foot, you have to use your right foot.  Spaniards say that the first step you take after the bells chime in the New Year should be with your right foot. Other say that when you walk into your house after a night out on New Year’s Eve you should enter with the right foot.

   In Finland, during the last night of the year, everyone gets a horseshoe. The horseshoe is melted and the liquid metal is poured quickly in a bucket of cold water. The result of the shape is then examined and interpreted to predict the different future events of the coming year. Different shapes have different meanings. If the cast breaks down to pieces, it is a sign of “bad luck.” 

   In the Philippines, it’s all about the cash. They believe that everything should be round to represent coins and bring wealth: Round food, round clothes, round wheels, round windows, as long as it’s round. 

   People in Argentina are a little more creative when it comes to having good luck for the new year. On the last day of the year, they shred old documents and papers to symbolize leaving the past behind. Around noon people throw the scraps of paper from their windows all over the city in a shower of confetti. 

   All around the world, traditions are celebrated differently making each and every country unique with their celebrations. Which tradition will you be trying out this New Year?