Travel experts at Riviera Travel – the UK’s leading river cruise and tour operator – revealed eight New Year traditions from around the world. Symbolic rituals span from fireworks, offerings to the Gods, and smashing plates.
In Spain, it’s traditional to eat 12 grapes, one at each chime of the clock. Known as “Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte,” the custom is believed to bring good fortune for the year ahead.
Meanwhile, gorgeous temples in Japan ring their bells 108 times to symbolise the cleansing of 108 worldly desires. The practice is known as “joyanokane” and is believed to purify the soul and welcome a fresh start.
Other New Year festivities in Japan include partaking in “osechi ryori” – a special meal of dishes symbolising health, prosperity, and happiness.
In Brazil, people flock to Copacabana Beach wearing white to offer the sea goddess, Iemanjá, flowers and candles.
The ceremony is a gesture of gratitude and is believed to bring prosperity for the New Year. To further celebrate, there is a raucous festivity of fireworks, samba music and dancing on the beach.
In Denmark, plates are smashed against the houses of family and friends, with the Danes believing that the more broken plates on their doorstep, the luckier they will be.
Plus, at midnight, they might participate in the tradition of jumping off a chair to symbolise enthusiastically entering the New Year.
In India, specifically in south India, the New Year is celebrated by offering gifts to deities, eating traditional food on banana leaves, and lighting oil lamps.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, the New Year – known as “Seollal” – is a time for family gatherings and paying respect to ancestors. The three-day holiday is spent exchanging gifts and performing ancestral rites, known as “charye”.
In Italy, those seeking a romantic partner are encouraged to wear red underwear to attract love in the New Year.
To celebrate “La Festa di San Silvestro”, people gather in piazzas to the backdrop of fireworks and good food, including cotechino (spiced sausage) and zampone (stuffed pig’s trotter).
And, in Greece, the New Year celebration includes cutting the vasilopita cake that has been baked with a hidden coin inside. The person who finds the coin in their slice of cake is believed to have good luck for the year ahead.
- Spain – eating 12 grapes
- Japan – ringing bells
- Brazil – offering to the sea goddess
- Denmark – smashing plates
- India – fireworks
- South Korea – family time
- Italy – red underwear
- Greece – cutting the cake