What are your New Years traditions? Do you have any? Do you make resolutions or eat something special? Who do you spend time with?
Yesterday Carrie mentioned a Bulgarian superstition: “Whatever you are doing on New Year’s Eve is what you will be doing the whole entire year.” It made me think of other traditions or superstitions for New Years from around the world.
Here are a few:
In Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, the Spanish eat 12 grapes, one with every toll, to bring good luck for the 12 months ahead.
An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year’s Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck.
The Vietnamese prepare well in advance for the New Year by cleaning their houses, polishing their copper and silverware and paying off all their debts.
In Wales, at the first toll of midnight, the back door is opened and then shut to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck.
Haitians wear new clothing and exchange gifts in the hope that it will bode well for the new year.
In Germany people leave a bit of every food eaten on New Year’s Eve on their plate until after midnight as a way of ensuring a well-stocked larder the upcoming year.
There are hundreds more traditions…many involve money, light or fire, cleaning, symbols purity and rebirth. The common denominator is that each are sending forth a hope for the new year, hopes for prosperity and abundance and hopes for a new beginning.
At our house we stay up until midnight, we eat appetizers that each person chooses, and we toast the New year. We have always eaten grapes (at least now I know why). Some years we make resolutions and some years we don’t.
My toast to you and yours–whatever you do!
Have a Happy New Year, may it be filled with peace and prosperity.
