New Year’s Eve Traditions Around the World

Puerto Rico – Similar to other Latin cultures, the people in Puerto Rico throw pails of water out the window to drive away evil spirits and eat 12 grapes at midnight. As in Ireland, they also clean everything – the car, their house, the garden, the streets. This is meant to start New Year’s Eve with a fresh slate. To encourage a lucky future, families also sprinkle sugar outside of their house. Traditional food is served to celebrate, including arroz con gandules, pasteles, roasted pig, coquito, and rice pudding.

Image source: T. Jerven, Daily Hive

Canada – People in Canada embrace similar celebrations as their American neighbors. This includes drinks, fireworks, and live music. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, you can also do the polar bear plunge, a tradition that involves going into freezing waters to raise money for charities. Of course, you can always visit Niagara Falls and enjoy the countdown by one of the country’s most famous landmarks.

SOUTH AMERICA

Ecuador – At the annual Años Viejos, the people in Ecuador burn scarecrows at midnight. These are filled with paper or sawdust and modeled after a public figure who somehow wronged the world in the previous year, such as a corrupt politician or a celebrity who fell from grace. This tradition originated in Guayaquil in 1895 when a yellow fever epidemic hit the town and coffins packed with the deceased’s clothes were burned for purification. The Ecuadorians also burn photographs from the previous year in the name of good fortune and starting fresh.

Brazil –Thankfully, the weather in Brazil is nice all year since people love to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the water. It’s considered good luck if you can jump over seven different waves while making wishes, one for each wave. Additionally, they enjoy fireworks on Rio de Janeiro’s shores while eating lentils, which signify wealth. The most popular color to wear is white as it is said to bring good luck and peace. Similar to Años Viejos, they burn life-sized dolls with face masks that represent bad events from the past year.

Image source: Aracari

Peru – As is the case in most South American countries, the Peruvians celebrate the new year with grapes, fireworks, and traditional food. However, they also have their own custom that involves putting three potatoes under a chair. One is peeled, one is partially peeled, and the other has all its skin. At midnight, a person chooses a potato with their eyes closed and each yields a prediction for the future. If you get the one with skin, you’ll be prosperous, the one that’s partially peeled means you’ll have a normal year, and the one with no skin means you’re destined to have no money.

Chile – New Year’s Eve in Chile is meant to honor the dearly departed. Families in Talca spend the night in the company of their deceased loved ones by sleeping at the cemetery. Beforehand, they all gather for an abundant dinner that includes stuffed turkey or some kind of other meat. When it hits midnight, they celebrate with eye-catching fireworks and wear certain colors as is tradition in South America to indicate a hope for the future. For the night, they bring along small snacks and drinks and light fires next to the graves.

ASIA

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