Just as the parties from Christmas begin to dwindle, preparations are started for the celebration of New Year. It is a time when even the least-likely party-goer will ready himself for a night of booze, singing, and food. This list looks at 10 of the most common and interesting traditions of New Year from around the world.
First-footing is an ancient European New Year’s custom that continues into the present in many areas. The first person to enter a home after midnight on the first day of the year should be a male, preferably with dark hair. Blondes may have been associated with Vikings – visitors who never brought good luck. The first-footer should carry a gift, such as a coin for prosperity, bread for food, salt for flavor, or whiskey to represent good cheer. The first-footer can be a resident of the house, but must not be inside during the hour leading up to midnight. No fair stepping outside and coming back in again!
There is an Irish tradition of predicting the political future of the country by checking which way the wind blows at midnight on New Year’s Eve. If the wind is from the west, there is a chance that good fortune will reign that year. If the wind is from the east, however, the British will prevail. Mistletoe was handed out to ward off bad luck, and single women put a sprig of mistletoe under their pillows in hopes of catching a dream about their future husbands. Another tradition peculiar to Ireland is pounding on the doors and windows of the house with bread. This practice was to chase out evil spirits and ensure bread for the upcoming year.
Madeira, a Portugese island, holds a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the most lavish New Year’s party. In 2007, 8,000 fireworks per minute made up the display in Funchal, the capital city, for a total of 600,000 fireworks. Visitors from around the world fill the tiny harbor, where the dazzle is reflected. In 2009, the government is spending 12,000,000 Euros to ensure the most spectacular celebration anywhere in the world. Other famous fireworks displays take place in Rio de Janeiro, Sydney harbor, and, of course, New York City, were visitors watch the descent of the giant six-foot crystal ball marking the last moments of the old year.
New Year’s is the oldest holiday still being celebrated. The Babylonians celebrated the new year as early as 4000 B.C. At that time, the new year began on the first new moon after the Vernal Equinox. The celebration continued for eleven days, with each day having a different purpose and activity. Then, as now, resolutions were made. A common Babylonian resolution is to return borrowed farm equipment. At this time each year, the king was stripped of all power to undergo a ritual of humiliation, in which he was hit by the priest and separated from everyone for three days to pray. When he reappeared, ceremonies of restoration were performed to ensure that nature would support him during the coming year.
Austria has one of the most glamorous of New Year’s celebrations. At the Imperial Ball, a tradition of the Hapsburg dynasty that has continued for hundreds of years, dancers wear white gowns and black jackets. At midnight, “The Blue Danube,”is played. The Strauss operetta, “Die Fledermaus, is performed each New Year’s Day. Celebrants dine on suckling pig – considered good luck. The tables are often decorated with candy pigs. Children pour molten lead into a tub of water. A soothsayer then reads the shape of the lead. It is considered bad luck to find that your lead resembles an old woman.
By the Chinese calendar, the year 2009 is actually 4706, a year of the ox. Chinese New Year is celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice. In 2010, it will fall on February 14. Firecrackers and noisemakers will chase away evil spirits. The fabulous dragon and lion will dance in the streets. People will wear red, the most auspicious of colors, and red envelopes with lucky money will be given to children. Tangerines are often given for good luck, but odd numbers are unlucky, so the tangerines are given in pairs. The third day of the new year is the day the mice marry off their daughters, so people go to bed early, so they don’t disturb the mice.
It is traditional in Japan to spend a full week preparing for the new year to arrive. The house must be thoroughly cleaned, so that no evil spirits can linger. All debts must be paid. And most importantly, all disagreements must be resolved and forgiven. Before midnight, 108 bells ring, to symbolize the elimination of 108 troubles. With no troubles, disagreements, debts, or disorder to contend with, all are free to welcome in the new year with every expectation of peace and prosperity. The day after New Year’s is First Writing Day, when people write their hopes and dreams for the new year.
For African Americans, New Year’s Day has a special significance, and is often called Emancipation Day or Jubilee Day. On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves from bondage, was read in Boston. Today, many African-American families hold “watch services” on January 1. Traditional foods include black-eyed peas, collard greens, ham hocks, and macaroni and cheese. The uniquely African-American celebration, Kwanzaa, continues over seven days starting December 26, so the New Year’s celebration is often part of Kwanzaa’s way of reconnecting people with their African roots. Kwanzaa began in the United States in the 1960s, and is not celebrated in Africa.
“Auld Lang Syne” has been called the most familiar song to which nobody knows the words. But this year, you will! Written by Robert Burns and first published after his death in 1796, the song became an instant standard in 1929 when Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians played it on New Year’s Eve, broadcasting from the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The title literally means, “Old Long Time.” Roughly translated, here are the words:
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne?For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne.
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne.We two have run around the hills
And pulled the daisies fine.
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot
Since the days of auld lang syne.We two have paddled in the stream
From morn till the sun was down.
But seas between us two have roared
Since days of auld lang syne.So here’s a hand my trusty friend.
Give us a hand of thine.
We’ll take a good-will drink again
For auld lang syne.
Using a baby to symbolize the new year has been controversial from the beginning. Many cities watch for the first baby of the new year, to shower him or her with gifts from local merchants and lots of media attention. But parading a living baby through the streets brought disapproval from Greek mothers as early as 600 B.C. Egyptians also used a live human baby to symbolize the birth of a new year. Early Christians disapproved of the practice, but its popularity eventually overcame all objections, and the symbol remains one of the most popular. Today’s baby is traditionally a diapered boy with a sash labeled with the number of the upcoming year he represents.
I am totally down with #7. For this New Year’s I’m going to return all the farm equipment I’ve borrowed.
Perhaps we need to bring back the tradition of seeing our leaders get beaten up and stripped down for 3 days….i volunteer to hand out said beatings!
Historical error.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all the slaves, only those who were in the states that were still controlled by the confederacy.
Well they have had elaborate New Years in Vienna for hundreds of years, but not while dancing to Strauss, as he was born in 1899
Sorry to disappoint but I’m Irish and I’ve never once seen or heard anything remotely like ‘Irish Wind’ being practiced at New Year’s.
As for the banging on the doors, when we were kids we used to open the doors at 12.00 to let the old year out and new year in, but I never saw anybody banging on them.
I never would have thought so many people who live by me would be awake to comment at this hour. I live in dekalb off 88. I drive to glenview once a week.
FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT *****KKKKKKKKKKKKKK.
this site SUCKS
this site SUCKSfart
hey guys
wanna have a good time? hay
call me
like to party?
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shutup ben, stop posting you loser. GAWD
@jfrater (26): You can make some inexpensive curtains from bed sheets by adding grommets to the top and running a bar through them. (Or for even less, just insert said bar through the top loop in the sheet.)
Scottish New Year,
Is known as Hogmanay.
The Scots prepare there homes for New years day by cleaning there homes from top to bottom.
On NYD they eat haggis oatmeal cakes etc.
They have bonfires with people linking arms singing Aluld Lang Sayne.
Ben and poop, get out.
where i live in weymouth, uk the whole town goes out in fancy dress costumes—best night of the year !
Notable omission: Eating 12 grapes at midnight, 1 grape for each bell chime (adding up to 12.. obviously… symbolic of the coming 12 months… duh) for good luck, prosperity, etc. I know it’s more of a Hispanic thing and I think it originated in Spain.
In Germany they always play a short film called “Dinner For One” several times throughout New Years Eve on tv. Not sure what the significance is, but it is really funny.
My roommates does the 12 grapes thing, I don’t know what it’s from, but every year.
@Shagrat (40):
I am a fellow scot and have very fond memories of new year – in my family a feast was prepared for the table and no alcohol was alowwed to be drunk until “efter the bells”.
I live outside scotland now in the land of our enemy (england) and have returned for hogmany and new years a few times – sadly it is not the same as it used to be. Most people now see it just as a night to get rat arsed. SHAME!
For you purists here are the orginal lyrics to number 2:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I’ll be mine,
And we’ll tak a cup o kindness yet,
For auld lang syne!
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou’d the gowans fine,
But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit,
Sin auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl’d in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
Sin auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty fiere,
And gie’s a hand o thine,
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne
Meanings
auld lang syne – times gone by
be – pay for
braes – hills
braid – broad
burn – stream
dine – dinner time
fiere – friend
fit – foot
gowans – daisies
guid-willie waught – goodwill drink
monie – many
morning sun – noon
paidl’t – paddled
pint-stowp – pint tankard
pou’d – pulled
twa – two
source
http://www.hogmanay.net/history/auldlangsyne
Does anyone else find New Year’s to be a totally depressing holiday? I do, and it’s not because I’m alone -in fact, I am happily married with kids and LOTS of family.
I guess it’s because 1. Christmas is over, and with New Year’s, the Christmas Season 2. The night’s events never live up to the expectations and 3. It just means everyone I love is getting older.
Am I alone in this?
@Rebecca (84): Yes
@lo (32): If you went to a modern Catholic school you would have no doubt received a fundamentally flawed religious education as the quality has dropped since the 1960s. It is also likely that you may have heard of it as the feast of “Mary, Mother of God” as that is what it is called in the normal calendar (another of the changes inspired by the second vatican council). But regardless of its name, it is still a holy day of obligation which entails compulsory Mass attendance.
I suspect that the most likely reason you never heard of it was that it falls in the holiday season and so you weren’t at school to be told about it.
@Rebecca (84): No.
@seneca (39): “Interestingly, Roman Catholics recognize Anglican priests as true priests.”
This is not correct – the Catholic Church considers all Anglican religious to be laymen in fancy dress. Pope Leo XIII confirmed this definitively in his bull Apostolicae Curae in 1896. In the bull, the Pope declared Anglican orders to be “absolutely null and utterly void”. You can read more about it here.
In recent days, Pope Benedict XVI has created a provision for Anglicans to rejoin the Catholic Church en masse – as a part of that provision, all Bishops and Priests of the Anglican religion are to be ordained as if they were never ordained to begin with. There is a conditional rite of ordination which is used when someone might already be a priest – but this is not to be used in the case of Anglicans who lost all of the sacraments and apostolic succession
@ianz09 (58): Here is the list of holy days in the US.
I’ve never been one for National OR personal celebration days. I understand other love to celebrate and make a fuss, and I always make a fuss of others on Birthdays and Christmas – but I’m not bothered about it all myself. I suppose it’s what you’ve grown up with – and seeing everybody else doing the same. Don’t get me wrong – I’m no scrouge – I adore being thoughtful and thinking up gifts months in advance. But really, Christmas Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Easter (the Christians ‘borrowed’ the much older festival of Spring Equinox; or Eostre/Ostara), Presidents Day, Independence Day, Liberation day, VE Day, New Years Day, and yes even my Birthday – you know? – I really couldn’t care less to be honest… good friends, good music, good conversation, love and laughter; I celebrate life when I feel like it.
Here in Clarksville, Tennessee our school system won’t let our teachers use the word “Christmas”, “Halloween”, or “Thanksgiving”. They have a “Holiday party” before “Winter Break”, a “Fall Festival” coincidentally right before Thanksgiving, and Halloween is a joke. They can put up everything Halloween related; they just aren’t allowed to use the word in the classroom. Talk about PC! What the efff?!
Just blowing off steam I guess.
“It is a time when even the least-likely party-goer will ready himself for a night of booze, singing, and food.”
Strong assumption……..I avoid it like the plague! LOL
@lo (32): Could it be you’ve just forgotten about it? I went to Catholic School also and we had to go to church on New Year’s Day and also Halloween because it was All Saints Day.
@jfrater (29):@astraya (34) : Acctually weren’t most Christain Holidays based on or merged with previous ancient celebrations?
Some examples:
New Year’s Day: “In 46 B.C.E. the Roman emperor Julius Caesar first established January 1 as New Year’s day. Janus was the Roman god of doors and gates, and had two faces, one looking forward and one back.” (from simpletoremember.com)
Valentine’s Day: “The Romans celebrated a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno Fructifier, Queen of the Roman gods and goddesses as well as goddess of marriage.” (from about.com)
Easter: “The ancient Saxons celebrated the return of spring with a festival commemorating their goddess of offspring and of springtime, Eastre.” (from simpleto remember.com)
Halloween: “Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain…[They] celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.”(from History.com)
Christmas: In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture.The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule.” (from essortment.com)
@Rebecca (84): I’m with you on this one. Another bummer about is that I leave the Christmas tree and decorations up until New Years Eve, and it’s a little daunting and depressing to think about taking it all down and packing it all away.
@Tom Wang (91): I always wondered why Thanksgiving was lumped with the others. It is an American holiday, not a religious one. Are the teachers allowed to say Independence Day? Political correctness blows.
Im Irish and i have never heard of number 9 and i have never seen any1 ever do never mind the Irish!!!
@Cindy (95): I don’t know, I guess people might wonder “Who are we giving thanks to?” and try to link it to some religious celebration or something stupid like that. The school year is out well before the 4th , but I wouldn’t think they have a problem with that.
It’s the “holiday tree” and no presents or Santa in the classroom that bothers me the most. My wife teaches in a school with a lot of low income households. The celebrating and joy they have in school is the only experience they get during the Christmas season. God forbid they crack down on secret Santa or parties for the kids!
@jfrater (89): Damn, I’m a crappy Catholic!
I’m a white American who’s family is from New York and Massachusetts and we ate black eyed peas on New Year’s Day. I have never heard of January 1 being called Emancipation Day and I’m a history buff with the Civil War era as an emphasis; I’d also venture the guess that most modern black people in America are completely unaware that New Year’s Day is supposed to be anything other than a day to recover from a hangover and watch the Rose Bowl. Is this possibly specific to Boston? I think it’s also important to draw the distinction between Kwanza – a modern holiday created by an American college professor – and the rest of the information on the post.
@Tom Wang that seriously blows. We are expected to tolerate every other religious and ethnic tradition yet Americans cannot celebrate the ones that are commonplace here. Weird way to teach children about “tolerance” huh?
number 9 simply does not happen (i’m irish)
What do the dragon and the lion symbolize in the Japanese celebrations?
Interesting list! I was supprised to learn that New York’s crystal ball measured olny 6ft. I have never attended the celebration in NY. Olny seeing it on television, i always considered it larger.
There are female priests in some factions of the worldwide Anglican communion. Don’t think the invitation extends to them, except as laypersons. . .
What the *****? Can anyone understand a word they’re singing on number 2? I get lost after the 4th verse (“We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne.”). And i can only “understand” that because of the lyrics posted
I went to Catholic schools from Kindergarten through High School. We all knew Jan. 1st was a Holy Day of Obligation, but we never knew why. I guess circumcision is another one of those things that nuns (and my mother) “just don’t talk about.”
@Moonbeam (93): Halloween isn’t a Holy Day of Obligation, although it is called “All Souls’ Day.” The next day, Nov. 1st is “All Saints’ Day,” and that is the Holy Day.
@BooRadley (106): Oops! You’re correct. I’m not Catholic any more and so I haven’t gone to Mass in about a hundred years, so I got it mixed up.
Someone do a Thanksgiving myths list. I know its debated whether the first Thanksgiving was actually held in a small town near El Paso, Texas, 23 years before the pilgrims/puritans did. Basically it was a celebration of the arrival of Juan de Onate after a long journey across the Mexican desert. And, it’s actually uncertain of what the pilgrims ate at their feast. The only food known for sure was deer,
@Bradolph Pittler (108): That would be an interesting list and if someone does put one together I would definitely publish it.
@ac (104): Of course – the Catholic Church will not be ordaining any women (it is dogmatically declared that it is impossible and can never happen) and any married Anglican “bishops” will be ordained as priests as the Church does not (and never has) allowed married bishops – only married priests.
@Moonbeam (93): Some of the feast days replaced pagan feasts in a population that was practicing them. The pagan aspects were removed of course but retaining the day of celebration helped make it easier for large communities to convert without a sense of loss for their history.
I have a tradition of making a resolution to quit smoking and then breaking it within hours. Every year, without fail.
new years eve in new york sucks. maybe its fun for those here once and gone, but year after year it’s the same damn thing and now that they have the smiley face fireworks explosions (that is fireworks that explode in the form of a yellow smiley face), you know they wont be able to ever have another year without them. can you image the complaints if such a thing were to happen as leaving out the newest 5-7 year old gimmick? Lil’ Betsy cried and cried all the way back to Wisconsin because we promised her smiley face fireworks in new york. and you know what?- you cant drink in times square (they check your bags and use metal detectors and randomly strip search) and they weld the manhole covers shut (C.H.U.D. and Mole people are excluded!) and once you enter you cannot leave because if you do then you wont be able to reenter. Did you know dick clark was replaced by an electronic voice from beyond…they push a button live and ask, “Dick are you there?”
Did you know that the second its all over and NYPD and NYSD is cleared by the National Broadcasting Agency, the horse coppers with batons and tazers along with the trash sweeping bulldozermachines, clear the slate clean.
Not that I would ever set foot in timesquare- on or off the 31/1. Come to think of it, I’m glad I didnt fall in line and get the mandatory $50 government-issued digital TV converter box, because I am sure that if I were to tune into the last week(s) of 2009, all the morning news entertainment shows would be introducing how different and unique the crystal triangles are that make up the ball this year. Oh wow, hey Maude- did you know that because of our severe economic crisis – this year’s ball will be made of rock crystals supplied by the nation’s new age healers and shipped off to Burundi, hand chiseled by their children as a good will display of our new year devotion to all, despite hard times?
Aye Tripsyman – I was going to put the true words to Auld Lang Syne in – but couldnae be bothered: My “Book of Burns” is well and truly the worse for wear these days.
By Oatmeal Cakes for NYD – do you mean Bannocks? They’re brilliant. Had a genuine Haggis (Chieftain o’ the puddin’ race) at Fort William when we were over there a few years ago – great stuff; loved it. Had only had so-called “imported” or “tinned” haggis before – bloody awful!
Where in the Cursed South are you living and where do you hail from – our family’s grew up around Bonnyrigg – Lasswade – Dalkeith south of Reekie but they were all born up around Cardenden; Fife. I was born in Australia – but grew up speaking with a Scots accent and consider myself as much a Scot as an Australian: in fact the family have always said I was truer Scot than my Auld Mon!
Unfortunately most of the family – the Scotland-born, at least; have now “gone tae God” and only a couple are left. The rest of us are scattered up and down the east coast of Australia and rarely get together for anything let alone Hogmanay – very sad: I’d give a lot of future Hogmanays to relive one of our old ones!
As you say – the traditions are fading and many now see it as a chance to get *****-faced which is even more sad.
Well, guid health and lang mae yur lum reek – Scots wa hae!
@jfrater (88):
Thanks for correcting my statement about Anglican priests. I find this stuff fascinating!
Mike
Re: the first footer. My mum always said it was the worst luck if the first footer was a redhead. It was considered so unlucky that the two of her brothers who had red hair were forbidden to either go out on New Year’s Eve or if they did, to come home until New Years tea time.
Well, it’s 2 months to go before Awal Muharram, so this list is definitely too early…
@seneca (39): In the west, Christianity and Catholicism are really one and the same until Martin Luther arrived.
Really? Millions of members of the Orthodox churches throughout the ages will be fascinated to hear this.
@astraya (118):
Gimmee a break!!!
I preface that sentence with “in the west” and then immediately state:
“In the east, the Orthodox (recognized as a true religion by Roman Catholics) may have used a different day.”
@astraya (118):
Do you realize that the Orthodox Church is the Eastern Church?
Do you realize that holidays in the west have to do with the western church, not the eastern church?