Siam Villa Guide to New Year Traditions Around the World

New Year's Eve is just around the corner. for many around the world, on the night of December 31st, they would gather with friends and family to meet the new year. Here are traditions around the world that is believed to bring you good luck. Let us begin with the ones closest to home.

Japan

Chow on soba

This belief comes from the idea that long food equals long life. Many choose noodles to represent the longevity. For those without access to noodles, start munching on pasta!

Ringing bells

You would expect those huge Buddhist bells (omisoka) to ring 108 times with the last one falling on midnight when in Japan. This is believed to rid worldly passions like lust, anger and jealousy before the new year enters.

Philippines

Polka dots is on the rage

It is believed that wearing polka dot themed fashion when celebrating the new year would bring you fortune. The circles on your clothes represent coins for good luck.

13 round fruits

Another tradition in the Philippines is to prepare 13 varieties of round fruits when welcoming the new year. The fruits represent fortune one for every month and more. They are usually collected in huge bowl and accompanied with many coins.

Now moving accross the pond, let us look into some of the western traditions

Europe

In Italy, choosing the right color of your underwear dictates your fortunes for the upcomming year. Many people choose to wear red ones.

Eat 12 pieces of grapefruit one after the other until you reach midnight. This tradition in Spain is believed to bring you good luck one grapefruit a month.

For the Greeks, hanging onions on your door brings good luck and fertility. They also bake vasilopita which has a hidden coin in it. Whoever finds the coin will have good luck.

In Scotland, firts footing is a tradition whereby the first person to cross your door during the new year should be a dark-haired male. Another famous tradition is singing Auld Lang Syne.

Americas

Brazillians love to wear white during the new year representing good luck and peace. It also believed that jumping 7 waves during the new year increases your good fortune.

In Ecuador, buring scarecrows is a long standing tradition that represents cleansing the bad parts of the previous year (ano viejo).

We celebrate the new year in our different ways but all of us hopes for better fortune, health and peace for 2022. Let us not forget that the greatest secret is within us, we manifest what comes to our fortunes. It would not hurt performing these rituals if it would give us the good vibes for the new year.