United States of America's New Year
American New Years Customs such as Dance parties are thrown on New Year's Eve to see in the year. In New York's Time Square they watch for the moment when a giant brightly colored electric apple is lowered to the ground at which time they start saying Happy New Year, This is broadcast all over the United States. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve people will kiss or honk car horns. Paper blowers and whistles are blown. A soul food of black-eyed peas and rice called Hoppin' John is eaten by some. Other foods that are eaten at New Year are cake and champagne, they believe that black-eyed beans are lucky. People who live in the southern United States eat greens on New Year's Eve or day because it's believed that the colour green signifies money. Eating greens would therefore bring wealth in the new year.
Philippines New Year
Filipinos have other beliefs and practices which are associated and believed to bring good luck, fortune, and prosperity in the New Year. The noise and the firecrackers is believe to drive the evil spirit away and make the New Year bountiful and blessed. You should put coins/money in your pocket so that next year will be prosperous. You should open all the windows, doors lights so that all the graces will come to your home as you welcome the New Year. Some believe that you have to wear polka dots shirts or dress because it symbolise money, and it must have a deep pocket and filled with money bills and coins and jingled it at the stroke of midnight for good luck and attract wealth and fortune. Some people pay off their debts in the hope that they will not be saddled with debt throughout the year.
Finland's New Year
A New Year’s Eve tradition in Finland is the custom of predicting the future by casting molten tin into a container of water and interpreting the shape of the metal after hardening. A heart or ring shape means a wedding or a new relationship, a ship foretells a travel and a pig shape means plenty of food, lots of little pieces means money, and anchor shape could mean a new job, or a heart might represent a new relationship.
Indian's New Year
The Indian New Year festival is called Diwali and is a festival of lights. Their homes are decorated with little oil lamps known as diwa. These little lights are found in temples, houses, along window ledges and along garden paths. In cities electrical lights are used to light up buildings. These are used to drive out evil and is replace evil with goodness. People try to finish of any uncompleted work as Diwali marks the end of the year. Businesses pay of all debts and new account books are blessed before the New Year. It is a time for new beginnings. People buy new things such as things for their homes or new tools, or even new clothes those who can afford to. In Kerala, mothers put food, flowers and little gifts on a special tray. On New Year's morning, the children must keep their eyes closed until they have been led to the tray.
Canada's New Year
Many people go for vacations or take part in winter sports like snowboarding and skiing, to celebrate the New Year. Some of them organize social gatherings on the New Year’s Eve, where they bid farewell to the past year together and welcome the fresh year in a combined spirit. Vivid fireworks are also organized, The whole of the country gets illuminated with various kinds of lighting. Hotels, clubs and bars in Canada are thronged with people during this part of the year. The natives of Canada go for polar bear swim on New Year. Irrespective of their age, the people go for a swim, to render a hearty welcome to the forthcoming year. They also make loud claps and cheers at midnight, which they believe wards off the evil spirits. Kissing each other on the midnight of New Year Eve is yet another tradition, said to promote friendly ties on this graceful occasion. First Footing custom and having a bowl of back-eyed pea soup, along with a drink. In earlier days, people would go out and gather coals from their hearth sometime before midnight. Then they would go to visit their friends in the first minutes of the New Year. Most of them also great each other on this auspicious occasion with gifts. These gifts prove to be one of the best ways to express one’s love and care to the near and dear ones.
British New Year
In Britain the custom of first footing is practiced. The first male visitor to the house after midnight is usually supposed to bring good luck. Usually they bring a gift like money, bread, or coal, which is done to ensure the family, will have plenty of these things all the year to come. The first person must not be blond, red-haired or women as these people are supposedly bad luck. The Druids gave a gift of twigs from the mistletoe, as this was a plant that was sacred to them as a magic source of fertility. It would bestow on the recipient a fruitful year in the number of children, as well as the amount of cattle and the amount of crop.
Australian's New Year
In Australia they celebrate the New Year on January 1. This day is a public holiday and many people have picnics and camp out on the beach.It's a day for outdoor activities such as rodeos, picnic races and surf carnivals. They have parties that start on December 31 and at midnight they start to make noise with whistles and rattles, car horns and church bells. To ring in the New Year.
German's New Year
In Germany people would drop molten lead into cold water and try to tell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring shape meant a wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig plenty of food in the year ahead. People also would 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. Carp was included as it was thought to bring wealth. New Year's Eve is a noisy affair. These celebrations are all about dancing, singing, drinking and having a lavish meal. People like to spend time with their dear ones. Party places and restaurants are overcrowded with people. As clock strikes 12 at night, people are seen hugging, kissing and wishing each other "Gutes Nue Jahr" or "Happy New Year". Bells of churches start ringing loudly. Champagne and wine flow lavishly and fireworks light up the sky.
Korean's New Year
New Year's Eve: People place straw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirit sin the new year. Everyone dresses in new clothes, the following morning, symbolizing a fresh beginning, and gathers at the home of the eldest male family member. Ancestral memorial rites are held, then the younger generation bows to elders in the family. They wish them good health and prosperity in the coming year. The elders often then give newly minted money or gifts afterwards. New Year's Day food includes: a bowl of rice cake soup ttokkuk. Koreans believe eating this soup will add and extra year of age to your life. Korean age is actually calculated at the New Year. Everyone becomes a year older on New Year's Day !
Japanese New Year
The Japanese New Year Oshogatsu is an important time for family celebrations, when all the shops, factories and offices are closed. To keep out evil spirits, they hang a rope of straw across the front of their houses, which stands for happiness and good luck. When the New Year begins, the Japanese people begin to laugh, and this is supposed to bring them good luck in the New Year. In Japan temple bells usher out the old year, and then comes the joyano-kane which is the "night-watch bell", this is a series of exactly 108 peals. The ringing of the bell 108 times is done to free the year form evil. For those who follow the Shinto religion the house is decorated with evergreen s which are the symbol for eternal life and bamboo which is the symbol for honesty. The Japanese New year begins on January 1 and lasts for two weeks. The 2nd of January is set down for kakizome, "first writing". Each member of the family takes a turn dipping a Burch into freshly mixed ink and inscribing a favorite poem or proverb onto a long strip of paper. Paper lobsters are used as decorations in many Japanese houses at New Year. The reason is that the lobster's curved back resembles an elderly person and every New Year's greeting includes a wish for longevity. There are two festivals to mark the New Year,The Greater Festival prayers are offered to the dead and friends exchange ritual gifts and visits. The Lesser Festival prayers for good crops are offered to the god of the rice paddy and a bird-scaring ritual takes place.
