The World Celebrates A New Year – 2024

HAPPY New Year Everyone! Good-bye 2023 and hello 2024. Let’s hope 2024 brings happiness, health and prosperity to all. Tonight, at least in the United States, it is New Year’s Eve. But many other parts of the world have already celebrated the coming of the new year. For instance, I called some of my Australian cousins last night, and they were already celebrating the coming of the new year. 

Although much of the world festively rings in the new year each December 31, we don’t all celebrate the same way. In the United States, we all know the traditions: the ball drop at Times Square, sharing a kiss with a loved one at the stroke of midnight, and countless amounts of fireworks. But elsewhere around the globe, traditions can include everything from giving your house a thorough cleaning to cracking open a fresh pomegranate.

Here a few New year’s celebrations from around the world.

1. Various countries: Eating lucky foods

Throughout the world, New Year’s Eve is celebrated with a meal in the company of friends and family. In some places, this means eating specific “lucky” foods. In Spain, Portugal, and much of Latin America (such as Colombia), for example, it’s 12 grapes or raisins and in Italy, 12 spoonfuls of lentils—one with each of the 12 chimes of the clock at midnight.

The French usher in the best New Year with a stack of pancakes. Germans prefer marzipan shaped into a pig for luck, whereas in the Netherlands, people eat doughnuts and ring-shaped foods.

Estonians feast as many as 7, 9, or even 12 times on New Year’s Eve, as they believe for each meal consumed, the person gains the strength of that many men the following year.

We have our lucky foods here too. I am in the process of making some German pretzels for good luck, as well as some black eyed-pea soup with ham, which is a Southern thing. I grew up eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. In fact, I spoke to a couple of my cousins in Texas last night as well, and both of them had their black-eyed peas and ham for the new year too. Larry is almost 100% German, and I have a lot of German in me as well, and my mother was from Southeast Texas. So we have our bases covered. :)

It’s a simple German tradition where you eat a pretzel, usually made of sweet dough, on New Year’s Day to bring good luck to the year.

For the best chance of luck every day in the year ahead, one must eat at least 365 black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Black-eyed peas eaten with stewed tomatoes represent wealth and health.

 2. Philippines: Wearing polka dots and eating round fruits

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.

3. Brazil: Wearing white while jumping into the ocean

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.

4. Cuba: Throwing a bucket of water out the front door

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. All of Latin America also likes to travel around with an empty suitcase as well, in hopes of a year filled with travel and new experiences. They also eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight.

5. Ireland: Setting an extra place at the table

The Irish have several New Year’s traditions, such as banging the outside walls of their houses with bread to keep away bad luck and evil spirits and starting the year with a spotless, freshly cleaned home. But one of the most well-known is setting an additional plate at the dinner table for any loved ones lost in the prior year.

However you choose to ring in the new year, Happy New Year to one and to all. May the new year be filled with love, joy, prosperity and health for everyone. Stay safe and stay well. ’Til next time. See you next year. :)