New Year Traditions from Around the Globe You’ve Probably Never Heard Of!

As we head towards the end of 2024, and the world prepares to welcome 2025, the Travel Experts at Riviera Travel have delved into how different cultures celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

From symbolic rituals to vibrant celebrations, these traditions offer a window into the unique customs of communities worldwide.

Eating Twelve Grapes for Luck in Spain

In Spain, the New Year is marked by the unique tradition of eating twelve grapes, one with each chime of the clock at midnight. This custom, said to bring good fortune for the year ahead, is a lively and often humorous challenge for participants. Families and friends gather around their televisions or in public squares to synchronise their grape-eating with the clock's strikes. The tradition, known as "Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte," dates back to the late 19th century and is believed to have started in Alicante as a way for farmers to promote their grape harvest.

Joyanokane (Ringing Bells) in Japan

In Japan, the New Year is celebrated with a profound sense of reflection. Temples ring their bells 108 times to symbolise the cleansing of 108 worldly desires as part of the Buddhist tradition. This practice, called "joyanokane," is believed to purify the soul and welcome a fresh start. Families also partake in "osechi ryori," a special meal comprising beautifully arranged dishes, each symbolising wishes for health, prosperity, and happiness. Mochi-making and sending New Year's postcards, or "nengajo," further enrich the festivities.

Offerings to the Sea Goddess in Brazil

On Brazil's iconic Copacabana Beach, locals and visitors alike wear white and offer flowers and candles to Iemanjá, the sea goddess. These offerings are sent out to sea in small boats as a gesture of gratitude and a wish for prosperity in the coming year. White attire symbolises peace, while fireworks illuminate the skies above the beach in a dazzling display. Festivities often include samba music and dancing, creating a vibrant and joyous atmosphere that lasts until dawn.

Smashing Plates in Denmark

Danes welcome the New Year with an unusual and playful tradition: smashing plates against the doors of friends and family. The more broken dishes you find at your doorstep, the more luck you're said to have for the year ahead. Another notable custom involves jumping off a chair at the stroke of midnight, symbolising leaping into the New Year with enthusiasm. Homes are decorated with candles and wreaths, creating a cosy setting for hearty feasts and gatherings.

Light Celebrations in India

India's New Year celebrations vary widely across regions and cultures. For instance, the Sikh festival of Lohri, celebrated in January, features bonfires, music, and dance to mark the end of winter and the harvest season. Meanwhile, in South India, New Year is marked with offerings to deities, traditional feasts served on banana leaves, and the lighting of oil lamps. In Goa, beach parties and fireworks are a highlight, blending modern celebrations with age-old customs.

Seollal in South Korea

In South Korea, the Lunar New Year, known as Seollal, is a time for family gatherings and paying respect to ancestors. Traditional customs include wearing hanbok (traditional Korean attire), playing folk games such as "yutnori," and eating tteokguk, a rice cake soup that symbolizes growing a year older. Seollal is a three-day holiday, during which families exchange gifts and perform ancestral rites, known as "charye," to honor their heritage.

Red Underwear is A Must in Italy

In Italy, a quirky New Year tradition involves wearing red underwear to attract love and good fortune in the year ahead. Italians also enjoy a feast that often includes "zampone" (stuffed pig's trotter) or "cotechino" (spiced sausage) with lentils, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Fireworks light up the skies as communities gather in piazzas to celebrate "La Festa di San Silvestro."

Cutting the Vasilopita in Greece

In Greece, the New Year's celebration includes the cutting of a special cake called "vasilopita," baked with a hidden coin inside. The person who finds the coin in their slice is believed to have good luck for the year ahead. Families also play cards and other games to welcome a prosperous year. Children eagerly anticipate gifts from Saint Basil, whose feast day coincides with New Year's Day.