8 fascinating New Year’s Eve traditions followed across the globe

The world is full of diversity and uniqueness with people across the globe observing spiritual, soulful and even quirky customs, in the hope of welcoming good luck for the coming year. From smashing plates in Denmark to ringing bells 108 times in Japan, New Year’s Eve traditions around the world are as diverse as they are fascinating. Each custom has a unique ways of bidding adieu to the old year and welcoming the new year.
Here are eight unique traditions that highlight the global spirit of celebration, renewal, and hope.

12 grapes in 12 minutes

This fun New Year’s eve tradition is believed to bring good luck. It is followed in Latin America countries and in the Caribbean. Each grape denotes a month of the year, and eating them all within one minute at the stroke of midnight could make your New Year full of love, luck and light. The origin of the tradition goes back to 1800s Spain and is based on the French tradition of eating grapes and drinking champagne during the new year.

Pumpkin soup

Soup Joumou or pumpkin soup is savoured on New Year in Haitian tradition as a way to not only usher the new year but also celebrate their independence day. In 1700s colonial Haiti, French colonizers forced enslaved Indigenous people to cultivate squash and pumpkins and enjoyed a rich, flavorful soup. However, this delicacy was reserved only for the white slaveowners, and denied to the very people who created it and did not let them savour their own labour. Upon their independence in 1801, the Haitian people celebrated it with the pumpkin soup and it became a symbol of their freedom. The soup was first served as an Independence Day dish in 1804. And now it has become a tradition in Haitian families to enjoy the soup together as a first meal of the new year.

Throwing flowers and candles into the ocean in Brazil

A unique tradition of Brazil that is follow every New Year’s Eve is performed to worship Yemoja – The goddess of the sea, who is believed to control the sea and give her blessings. People dress up in white and offer flowers, and candles to the goddess for a blissful year. However, there is a catch. If the ocean returns your offerings, then the goddess did not accept them.

Smashing plates is a New Year’s eve tradition in Denmark

One may perceive someone smashing plates as rude or angry on ordinary days, but not on New Year’s eve. In Denmark, you have every right to break plates or glasses on this day and hope for a lucky year ahead. People smash their porcelain plates or glasses and drop them on the doorsteps of their friends and well-wishers as a way to wish them good fortune. In fact the more broken glass you receive, the more popular and loved you are. Bizarre, but true!

Setting scarecrows afire in Colombia and Ecuador

New Year is the time to leave behind the bad and look forward to good. This is perhaps why people in Colombia and Ecuador, set dummies or scarecrows on fire on the New Year’s eve to destroy evil and wish for good luck. For los años viejos, people make large effigies or scarecrows that look like people they dislike or those who have died in the past year. These effigies are burnt on New Year’s Eve to welcome new things and leave the past behind.

Ringing of bell in Japan

Another exciting tradition of ringing the bell 108 times on New Year’s Eve is followed in Japan. This is slightly spiritual in nature as the tradition is rooted in Buddhist beliefs, where the bells are rung 108 times to represent each of the worldly desires or sins of that religion. This ceremony is held in a Buddhist temple.

Flying furniture in Africa

In another tradition of getting rid of the old to make space for the new, in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, on New Year’s eve people throw their old furniture, fridges, couches that they had stockpiled to discard towards the end of the year. This symbolizes new beginnings. However, this could become a problem if done from the windows of tall buildings and may be dangerous for passersby who may be hit by them. Over the years, this tradition is becoming less popular.

Hanging onions in Greece

It is customary for people in Greece to hang onions on their doors for inviting good luck and strength for the coming year. The onions denote squill or sea onion which is a poisonous plant that grows in Crete and resembles a large onion. This plant continues to grow new leaves and flowers even when uprooted. By hanging onion on the door, people of Greece and Crete believe that the resilience of the plant will rub off on them.