FAMILY HOLIDAY VACATIONS

BY CLAY LARROY

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Unusual New Year traditions from around the world

What does your New Year’s Eve have in store? A few glasses of bubbly and a party with all of your nearest and dearest? That’s the standard way of celebrating in the UK of course, along with compiling a list of resolutions which you will no doubt have broken come February 1. Continuing on with the theme from last week’s bulletin where we looked at unusual Christmas traditions, today we look at how people in the Caribbean celebrate New Year and also look at some of the more unusual New Year traditions from around the world.

Caribbean
Across all of the Caribbean islands there is very little respite from the festivities between Christmas and New Year – in fact the whole period is just one big party with lots of street parties where people drink, dance, socialize and have as much fun as possible before the year is out.
South America
It is tradition around the South American continent for people to wear brightly colored underwear on December 31. Red undies are a must-wear for those who hope to find love in the coming year. Those who opt for yellow underwear are hoping for money.
Denmark
If you find yourself in Denmark on the eve of the New Year then don’t be surprised to see all those around you clamber onto their chairs at 12 o’clock. Their leap of faith comes with the hope of ridding themselves of all bad spirits in the New Year. This action is combined with the smashing of their old plates on their friends’ doors. The one with the most smashed dishes found outside their door is usually the one who has the most friends.
Philippines
Filipinos focus on round things every New Year. They consume round fruits such as grapes and wear clothing that has round shapes on it. The round shape celebrates the shape of coins and signifies a hope for prosperity in the year to come.
Spain
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year in Spain, people will attempt to consume a grape for every chime of the clock.
Belarus
Things get competitive amongst the women of Belarus on New Year’s Eve. The women all compete in games of skill to determine who will be the first to get married in the coming year. One traditional game involves setting piles of corn in front of all of the competing women and then freeing a rooster. Whichever pile the bird approaches first is believed to identify the woman who will be married first.
Germany and Austria
Germans and Austrians will pour different types of lead, such as tea leaves, on New Year’s Eve. The lead pieces are decanted into a bowl filled with water where it will form shapes. These shapes are said to predict what will happen for them in the year to come. If the lead forms a ball, this is said to signify good luck, if it forms the shape of an anchor, this suggests that you will be in need of help and if it forms the shape of a cross, unfortunately for those poor souls, it represents death.
Ecuador
Usually when people burn photographs, they are doing so to rid themselves of memories of a bad relationship. This is not the case in Ecuador where their New Year celebrations involve all of the locals coming together with pictures of something that you do not want in the New Year from the last year and setting it alight!
Chile
A slightly morbid tradition reigns in the city of Talca in Chile come New Year’s Eve. Residents participate in mass and then they all visit the local graveyard where they set up chairs and await the arrival of the New Year in the company of the dead.
Puerto Rico
On New Year’s in Puerto Rico they throw buckets of water out of their windows to “clean away” the old year! They also clean their homes and if they have the energy, redecorate. These traditions symbolize the “cleaning” of the spirit.
Estonia
In Estonia it is customary to eat seven times throughout the day on New Year’s Day to ensure abundant food in the coming year. It is believed that if you eat seven times, you will then have the strength of seven men in the year to come.
Ireland 
In Ireland, Mistletoe isn’t just for stealing a kiss with the person you’ve been holding a torch for; single women pop a sprig of the romantic flower under their pillows on New Year to hopefully bring them the love of their lives. In addition to the hope that it will bring you a husband, the tradition is also deemed to rid you of bad luck.

So, there you have it! Some wacky New Year traditions from around the world.

REFERENCE SITES

Article from

http://www.caribbeanbuyingguide.com/

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer 

and more beautiful. ” 
― Norman Vincent Peale

Enjoy life and travel often, the more you travel, the more memories you create!