Strange New Year traditions of the world
Despite the fact that the New Year is a traditional holiday and, in principle, one for all, each country has its own ways to meet the future with dignity and to attract luck to its side. Let’s take a look at the most unusual traditions.
South America
Residents of cities such as San Paolo and La Paz wear colored underwear on New Year’s Eve, and the color of underwear necessarily symbolizes something. If a person puts on red panties, he hopes for a loving year; putting on yellow underwear awaits a profitable year.
In the small Chilean town of Talca, it has become a tradition to celebrate New Year in the cemetery. For the past 11 years, the residents of Talca have been coming to the city cemetery on New Year’s Eve.
After the solemn evening mass, at about eleven o’clock in the evening, the mayor opens the gates of the cemetery, and those who wish can go to the graves of their relatives – in dim lighting and classical music. The atmosphere here is truly calm.
This tradition is not so old: in 1995, it was started by one family who wished to celebrate the New Year at the grave of her father. Now the tradition is supported by about 5,000 people.
And in places like Cuzco or Machu Picchu, people conduct ancient Incan rites. One of them, Temakal, became very popular among tourists visiting Peru during the New Year holidays. Temakal is a small construction made of wood, covered with a cloth and symbolizing the womb of Mother Earth. The spiritual aura of the person entering this hut is cleared, as if the person was born again.
Europe
If the abundance of alcohol has not deprived the Danes of the earth under their feet, many of them jump from their seats to chase away the bad spirits of the coming year.
When the clock strikes 12, the Spaniards begin to eat 12 grapes, trying to have time to eat everything before the last blow.
What do you think, what do they do on New Year’s Eve in Germany? It may seem strange to you, but they watch the series, which has become the most popular German Christmas tradition – Dinner for One (Dinner for One). Nothing to do with the “Beautiful Life”, broadcast in the US in the Christmas season. “Dinner for One” was never shown in Britain or in any other English-speaking country, but it is incredibly popular in a country that prides itself on its national culture.
Asia
Celebration of the New Year in places like Manila is associated with everything round. Filipinos use only round clothes, such as round fruit or clothes with a polka dot pattern. The “round” theme reminds of those celebrating about the round shape of coins and, accordingly, about prosperity.
Russia
The deepest lake on Earth and the largest source of fresh water – Baikal – has become the venue for celebrating the New Year in extreme conditions. Professional divers make a hole in the ice on the surface of the lake and dive to a depth of 40 meters to perform the ritual that began in 1982.
One of the divers swims to the very bottom with a Christmas tree, wearing equipment weighing about 100 kg. And other divers drive around the Christmas tree dance. Snow Maiden and Santa Claus must also be present at the festival, and divers will be photographed with them.
Divers from Novosibirsk gained fame for their dangerous dives.
