New Year's is more than simply fireworks and partying; it is also about
celebrating many different cultures and traditions from around the globe.
Here Are Some Very Unusual Celebrations! Enjoy! :)
In Spain, they take part in a cherished tradition on New Year's Eve: gobbling
precisely 12 grapes at midnight. This custom, which dates back to the late 1800s,
was cleverly planned by vine producers in Alicante to promote grape sales near
the end of the year. The practice became popular among Spaniards, who eat one
grape for each of the first 12 bell chimes after midnight in the hopes of
warding off bad luck and welcoming a prosperous year.
Residents of Denmark greet the New Year by throwing old plates and glasses
against the doors of family and friends. Unused plates are collected throughout
the year and cheerfully thrown at the front doors of friends and relatives
on December 31st. A higher pile of broken china is thought to represent more
friends and increased good fortune in the next year. This tradition is believed
to banish bad spirits. They also stand on chairs and jump off of them together
at midnight to 'leap' into January. This they do in hopes of good luck.
Furthermore, Danes celebrate New Year's Eve with a traditional supper of boiled
fish with mustard, followed by kransekage and marzipan doughnuts.
[Denmark (c) NYOOOZ]
A Japanese New Year, or Oshogatsu, commences at midnight where 108 bells echo
in unison, symbolizing the eradication of 108 universal human vices. This
age-old ritual is largely rooted in the Japanese idea that the reverberating
tolls act as a cleansing agent, washing people of the sins collected in the
previous year. On the eve of the New Year, the bell is rung 107 times,
with the 108th toll signaling the auspicious beginning of a new year.
Italians have a tradition of wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve. The
color red is associated with fertility in Italian culture, and people wear
it secretly beneath their clothes in the hope that it will increase their
chances of conceiving in the coming year.
In Greek tradition, onions are revered as symbols of rebirth, and to
foster growth in the new year, they are commonly hung on doors throughout
the country on December 31. Associated with the essence of development,
this pungent vegetable has a deeply ingrained place in Greek culture,
expressing a relentless drive to establish roots and thrive. On New Year's
Day, parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with an onion.
Ecuador's New Year's Eve festivities are set ablaze with bonfires. An
essential part of each bonfire is an effigy representing a politician,
a pop culture icon, or any other notable individual from the previous year.
Dubbed the old year, these effigy burnings serve as an annual cleansing
ritual, symbolically purifying the world of the negative remnants of the
past 12 months and creating a clean slate for the positive to unfold.
The Czechs slice an apple in half on the eve of the new year, interpreting
its shape to predict the fate of those present. For example, a core
resembling a star promises future meetings filled with happiness and
vitality. Meanwhile, a cross-shaped core suggests that someone at the
New Year's Eve party may fall ill.
Colombians place three potatoes under their beds on the eve of the New Year:
one peeled, one unpeeled, and one partially peeled. The potato they retrieve
at the stroke of midnight sets the tone for their financial prospects in the
coming year. A peeled potato indicates possible problems with money, an
unpeeled potato foreshadows a lucrative year, and a half-peeled potato implies
a happy medium between the two.
Also, in hopes of a travel-filled new year, residents of Colombia carry empty
suitcases around the block.
[Colombia (c) Compassion International Blog]
In Finland and Germany people approach New Year's Eve celebrations with the
tradition of the pouring of lead. Using a candle flame, people melt small
portions of lead or tin, pouring the molten metal into chilled water. The
resulting shape is believed to offer a glimpse into a person's destiny
for the approaching year. A heart or ring means a wedding, while a ship
predicts travel and a pig declares there will be plenty of food.
Romania has a unique tradition based on ancient agrarian beliefs that animals
only acquire the ability to speak on New Year's Day. Farmers are often spotted
talking with their beloved animals and surreptitiously whispering good wishes
into their ears on the 31st of December. Interestingly, the superstition
states that deciphering the animals' responses will bring ill fortune, while
remaining oblivious will bring prosperity.
For those of you who Want More FUN - Visit The Shangy Fun List! Variety is the
spice of life! The Shangy Fun List is an ezine packed full of Poems, Inspirational and
Heart Warming Stories. Jokes from G to slightly R, and Anything else that just
might make you SMILE! Join In The Free FUN!! ... :)
SHANGRALA'S
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