New Year Traditions
A famous song sung at midnight
“Auld Lang Syne”
Based on a poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song, “Auld Lang Syne” is an international song for bidding goodbye to last year—but not its friendships. It’s common to hold hands with the person next to you to form a circle on the dance floor while singing this catchy tune
Each leaf represents faith, hope, love, and luck
What is a Four-Leaf Clover (Celtic/Irish)
This superstition and phrase used to ward off bad luck after saying something fortunate, preventing a jinx
What is "knock on wood"
A powerful, often winged reptile that breathes fire
What is a dragon
"The lost island", a technologically advanced island civilization that sank beneath the sea, described by Plato.
What is Atlantis
Times Square in New York City is iconic for this New Year’s event, which is broadcast all over the globe
What is the "Ball Drop"
Hung in a bedroom, these filter good dreams while trapping bad spirit
What are Dreamcatchers (Ojibwe):
Doing this, especially over the left shoulder, is a widespread superstition to counteract the bad luck of spilling it
What is throwing salt
A majestic bird that cyclically regenerates or is reborn from ashes
What is a Phoenix
Canada's most famous "Loch Ness Monster"
What is Ogopogo, a serpent-like creature said to inhabit Okanagan Lake in British Columbia
Every culture’s got a noisy New Year’s Eve tradition. Name some items used to make noise
What is noisemakers, pots and pans, broken plates, Christmas poppers, or fringed party horns or blowers, (every culture’s got a noisy New Year’s Eve tradition)
These large creatures symbolize good fortune, linked to deities like Ganesha.
What are Elephants (Hindu):
This is said to bring seven years of bad luck
What is a Broken Mirror
Half-human, half-fish beings.
What is a Mermaid/Merman
No list of mythological places to visit would be complete without this legendary lake in the Scottish Highlands.
What is Loch Ness, home to the Loch Ness Monster, known affectionately as Nessie, a mythical creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highland
At midnight people like to do this
What is kiss someone. What better luck can you have than being with the person you love at the end—and start—of the year? As the saying goes: “Kiss the person you hope to keep kissing.”
Wards off ill effects; often hung with ends pointing up. Metal, used on a certain animal.
Also a game played outdoors
What is a Horseshoe (European/Indian):
Do not open this indoors
What is an umbrella
A large, hairy, ape-like creature from North American folklore
What is Yeti/Bigfoot(Sasquatch)
in Greek mythology, it’s home to many Greek gods, including Zeus. Today, travelers who visit Greece can take in views of its towering peak (at 9,570 feet)
What is Mount Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece
The most famous drink to make a toast with
What is champagne
Breaking this with your pinky and a partner bring good luck
What is a wishbone
Crossing your path often signifies bad luck in Western cultures, while in some places, they're considered good luck.
What is a black cat
A creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle
What is a Griffin
Located in Nottinghamshire, a county in Northern England, Sherwood Forest welcomes more than a quarter of a million visitors each year. Name its most famous mythical resident
Who is Robin Hood, a beloved folk hero for several centuries