The 10 Most Unusual New Year's Traditions Globally

A boat? An elephant? Or even a golfer? The meaningful figures and symbols that arise in Germany during lead pouring, and for some years now during wax pouring, are considered an indication for the coming year and are a popular New Year's Eve custom.

In other countries, there are special traditions in the last night of the year that are meant to promise prosperity and luck for the coming year. How curious these customs are is illustrated by the travel bettercities.net with examples from ten countries.

The plump red fruit of the pomegranate holds special significance in Greece. It symbolizes luck, prosperity, and fertility, as well as renewal and regeneration. In many homes in Greece, the fruit is hung up before New Year's Eve and smashed on the doorstep at New Year.

The person who gets to smash the pomegranate is promised a lot of luck in the new year. And the more seeds burst out from the fruit after the throw, the more promising it will be for the lucky one. After the fruit is smashed, the tradition continues: the person who threw the pomegranate must re-enter the house first - with their right foot! Otherwise, all the luck is lost.

In cozy Denmark, New Year's Eve is like a German wedding eve. The luck of the next year is called upon with broken china. Sorted-out dishes are smashed in front of the doors of friends and relatives, and the larger the pile of shards the next day, the more luck the new year holds.

Today, the custom is considered somewhat outdated but is still practiced. However, the jump into the new year remains popular in Denmark. Danes jump from a chair, couch, or kitchen table into the new year right at midnight. This leap is also believed to bring luck.

New Year's Eve (Japanese: Omisoka) in Japan is not for those with tinnitus. The end of the year is loudly announced with bell tolls in all of the country's Buddhist temples and can be heard from miles away. The New Year's bells toll 108 times. And this number holds special significance.

According to Buddhist belief, there are 108 worldly desires such as aggressiveness or jealousy. The bell tolls are meant to drive these away and help free the spirit to enter the new year without vices, sins, and negative emotions. Many people gather at temples before midnight.

They are already counted and ready in the supermarket: the twelve 'uvas de Nochevieja', or New Year's Eve grapes in English, also called luck grapes, play a crucial role on the night before the new year in Spain. At midnight, the tradition starts on the mainland and the Spanish islands. The bells at Puerta del Sol in Madrid chime twelve times every three seconds, and a grape is eaten with each chime.

Each grape symbolically represents one month of the coming year. You shouldn't choke while doing this, because only those who eat the grapes with each chime are promised prosperity and luck for the entire next year. The chimes are broadcast live on television.

In Brazil, white clothing dominates New Year's Eve. The color stands for purity and peace and is meant to promise luck for the new year. Colorful underwear is allowed under an ideally brand-new white outfit, and those who can, head to the beach.

There, offerings like flowers and candles are given to the sea goddess, and another custom is experienced: jumping over waves. For those who want to give their luck a little boost, they jump over seven rolling waves, starting with the right foot. A guarantee for luck!

Those who are out and about on New Year's Eve in Colombia shouldn't be surprised by all the 'travelers.' In this South American country, it is tradition to pack a suitcase and walk around the block with it at midnight. The custom promises many travels in the coming year. The suitcase tradition also appears on New Year's Eve in Peru and Venezuela.

Besides this unique custom, Colombia also celebrates the tradition of wearing yellow underwear on New Year's Eve. Weeks before New Year's, suddenly there are stands selling exclusively yellow underwear. This special garment promises luck and a year without financial worries.

Snow for New Year's in Argentina? Meteorologically speaking, it's unlikely. However, in some areas of Argentina, particularly Buenos Aires, the streets are covered in white on New Year's Eve. This is due to huge amounts of paper scraps.

Old files and documents, torn or shredded into small pieces, are thrown from windows in the city at midnight. This custom is meant to rid oneself of the burdens of the past year and make way for the coming one.

What's this? A tree on two legs? In Appenzellerland in Switzerland, the New Year's change is still celebrated according to an ancient custom. Predominantly men and boys go from house to house and pub to pub, dressed as fir trees and adorned with moss, pine cones, and cowbells.

The so-called Silvesterkläuse present solemn songs and wish 'a good new year' from dawn until nightfall. Besides December 31, this custom also takes place on January 13, when the year ends according to the Julian calendar.

Ecuador sets the puppets ablaze on New Year's Eve! The giant self-made figures, filled with cardboard, straw, and often pyrotechnic material, are set on a bonfire at midnight to help rid the past year of misfortunes and negative energy. Sometimes the so-called Monigotes even take a few hits before burning.

The burning is considered a purification ceremony, and the fire stands for renewal, hope, and illusion. The tradition has already been adopted in many other Latin American countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Cuba, and Panama.

Have you ever petted a lamb? In Romania, this is a New Year's custom. Petting the animal is believed to bring luck, and on the streets and markets of the country, you will see many children holding a lamb on New Year's Eve.

Besides this adorable gesture, dressing up elaborately is also part of the New Year's custom in Romania. Dressed in costumes, Romanians visit family and friends and perform songs in exchange for a glass of schnapps.

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