New Years Traditions from around the World
What country is it believed that eating round fruits and wearing polka dots brings a happy new year?
What is the Philippines?
To ensure a happy new year, the Filipino community believes that wearing round shapes (such as polka dots!) promotes prosperity and good luck. Additionally, it’s common eating round fruits—like oranges, watermelon, longan, grapes, and pomelos—are considered fortuitous as well. Another fun one for kids? Jump as high as you can as soon as midnight hits. Some people believe that it will help them grow taller in the New Year.
It's the place where over a million people gather to watch a ball drop?
What is Times Square?
the dropping of the giant ball at the stroke of midnight has taken place since 1907. Over the years, the ball has transitioned from a 700-pound iron and wood orb to a brightly patterned sphere that is 12 feet in diameter and weighing in at nearly 12,000 pounds.
This is the year the Times Square ball made it's New Years Eve debut.
What is 1907?
Pasadena, California hosts this event every January.
What is the Rose parade?
Millions of flowers and thousands of other plants will become mulch or compost. Some will end up in landfills, others will help new life grow. In the coming weeks, and months, next to nothing will remain of the up to $350,000 floats that brought joy and awe to Pasadena on New Year's Day
Later in life earning a title of Royalty he was born on January 8th 1935.
Who is Elvis Presley?
What country has the tradition to wear white and jump into the ocean?
What is Brazil?
Wearing white on New Year’s Eve has long been a tradition with roots in Africa. In Brazil, the Festa de Lemanjá takes place on this night to celebrate the goddess of the sea (Lemanjá). The culmination of the event is when everyone—dressed in white—runs into the water right at midnight to jump over seven waves. Each wave and jump signifies a different request the swimmer is making to a different orixá, or god. Consider them New Year’s resolutions or hopes, of sorts.
Each year this club braves 14,110 foot summit and sometimes -50 degrees wind chills to put on a fireworks show at the stroke of Midnight in Colorado.
These are the only 2 years the Ball did not drop in Times Square.
What are 1942 and 1943?
Due to WWII light restrictions
Honest Abe issues this in January in 1863?
What is the Emancipation Proclamation?
The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
He was born on January 17th 1899 and is one of the most notorious gangsters
Who is Al Capone?
In which country can you expect to see people walking around the block with an empty suitcase?
What is Mexico?
Here’s one we can really get behind: In Mexico, there’s one tradition people participate in on New Year’s Eve to help ring in a year filled with travel and new experiences. In several Latin American countries, people will walk around with an empty suitcase or set it in the middle of a room and stroll around it. Others go further and take a full lap around the block with their empty luggage.
It is believed doing this at midnight will ward off evil spirits and ensure the coming year will not be filled with loneliness?
What is a kiss at midnight?
according to Montreal Gazette, is a custom that may have started in ancient European times to ward off evil spirits. Commonly, a kiss at midnight is to ensure the coming year will not be filled with loneliness.
Each year this is the first country to celebrate the new year. This Island also shares it's name with another very popular holiday.
What is Kiritimati (Christmas) Island?
2am Colorado time
In January 1959 this became the 49th state of the United States.
What is Alaska?
The world did not understand the gravity of this man's birthday on January 4th 1643.
Who is Sir Issac Newton?
What country would you get to see people throwing buckets of water out the front door at the stroke of midnight?
What is Cuba?
In Cuba, people symbolically gather all of the bad spirits and negative energy from the past 365 days and toss them right out the front door. It’s not uncommon to see buckets full of dirty water flying out of homes during the countdown to midnight. Watch out if you find yourself strolling through a Cuban neighborhood on New Year’s Eve.
18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns created this traditional song about friendship and kindness?
What is Auld Lang Syne?
is a traditional New Year's song that roughly means "for old times' sake". This song was the brainchild of 18th century Scottish poet, Robert Burns. The song is about the friendship and kindness of days gone by, but gives a sense of belonging and fellowship into the future according to Scotland.org, opens a new window.
He was the first to declare January 1st as a national holiday, dating back around 4000 years.
Who is Julius Caesar?
Julius Caesar, the emperor of Rome, was the first to declare Jan. 1 a national holiday. He named the month after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates. Janus had two faces, one looking forward and one looking back. Caesar felt that a month named after this god would be fitting.
January is named from this Roman God.
Who is Janus?
The name for January comes from the Roman God Janus, who is always depicted with two heads. He uses one head to look back on the year before and the other head to look forward to the New Year!
It was shocking when this Founding Father was born on January 17th 1706
Who is Ben Franklin?
What country would you see people smashing pomegranates like pinatas?
What is Greece?
Podariko, a Greek custom that roughly translates to “good foot,” aims to bring luck at the start of the year. Before the holiday, households will hang pomegranates, thought to be a sign of luck, prosperity, and fertility, from their door. Then, on New Year’s Eve just before midnight, everyone will shut off the lights and leave the house so they can send a lucky individual to be the first to reenter the house, right foot first. When done correctly, it brings the family good fortune for the year. Afterward, a second person will take the pomegranate in their right hand and smash it against the door to see just how much luck—the more juicy seeds that spill out, the more luck the new year will bring.
The main ingredient in Hoppin' John stew is believed to bring prosperity into the coming new year
What is Black eyed peas?
or Hoppin' John (a stew made with black-eyed peas), is observed in the hope of bringing prosperity in the New Year. This tradition started in the South during the time of the Civil War. Even though the tradition of eating black-eyed peas started in America in the South during the time of the Civil War, the consumption of black-eyed peas on New Year's has been considered lucky for more than 1,500 years. According to the Talmud around 500 A.D., the Jewish custom of eating black-eyed peas was in celebration of the Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).
The second Friday in January is also known as this?
What is Quitters Day?
Most likely day for people to give up on their resolutions (known as "Quitters Day"), with 23% of Americans admitting that they didn’t succeed in accomplishing any resolutions they made.
This island opened for the first time on January 1st 1892, to welcome the tired, poor and huddled masses.
What is Ellis Island?
Looking innocent, she helped Spice up the world starting on her birthday of January 21st 1976
Who is Baby Spice (Emma Bunton)?