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| Prospero Año Nuevo! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy New Year, Mate! |
by: Stephanie Bolmer The old year has just turned into a new one yet again, and maybe you still have “Auld Lang Syne” in your head. That’s okay. It’s a great song. And it is a tradition to sing it at midnight on New Year’s Eve in the United States and many other places throughout the world. There is diversity even in how people in different parts of the U.S. celebrate the New Year. In the South, many people eat “Hoppin’ John,” which is black- eyed peas and ham hocks. They say you should, “Eat peas on New Year’s to make sure you have plenty of everything else the rest of the year.” A similar tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch country is to eat pork, often accompanied by sauerkraut. Pork is eaten because pigs root their noses forward in the dirt, and in the New Year, you want to go forward. Everyone in the U.S. can stay up and watch the ball drop in Times Square. This year was the 100th anniversary of the ball dropping, and for that, the ball got a makeover--more energy-efficient light bulbs! |
But New Year’s doesn’t just happen in the U.S. Check out what happens in other cultures when the clock strikes twelve: Scotland This is the place we get “Auld Lang Syne” from. They call their New Year’s Eve Hogmanay or “Night of the Candle.” |
| Poland Seen any dragons lately? Well, you can thank St. Sylvester. According to Polish legend, he imprisoned a dragon who was supposed to be able to escape and devour the world on New Year’s Day in the year 1000. But, obviously, the world is still here, and when they saw that, they decided to honor their her by calling New Year's "St. |
| There's a lot of housecleaning going on, as people purify their homes for the new year. After midnight, neighbors would visit each other, bringing a gift of a loaf of bread or a shovelful of coal. This gift would ensure no lack of food or warmth in the new year. If you were there, you would especially hope that the first visitor would be a tall, dark, handsome man. And not just because he was cute-- his nice features would mean a pleasant year for your household. Spain When the bells are ringing twelve times in España, it’s time to break out the grapes. Twelve grapes, to be exact, one for each month of the new year. They’re so serious about having a happy new year that, if you’re at a movie or a play, they’ll stop the performance so you can eat your grapes. Then the show can go on! |
| Sylvester’s Eve.” Australia Okay, so, Australia’s New Year’s is kind of like it is in the States. Only, they get to have theirs during the summer. So, think: beach. There are picnics, races, and even surfing contests. You could catch a rodeo, too. Not everyone celebrates the New Year on January 1. Here are three cultures who have a completely different calendar: Islamic New Year Different Muslims mark the New Year in different ways. It is not a wild party like it is in the U.S. The Islamic calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and the year has only 354 days. This year, on January 8, it will be year 1429 in the Islamic calendar. Hebrew Calendar Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. The shofar, a trumpet made from a ram’s horn, is blown on this day. This is to wake the people up and make them realize that they should prepare themselves for the Judgement Day. A tastier tradition is the eating of apples and honey, to signify a sweet New Year. Right now it is 5768 in the Hebrew calendar and will be until September 29. Chinese New Year The Chinese New Year falls on a different day each year in the Gregorian calendar (the one you’re probably used to using). On February 7, it will become the year of the Rat. Chinese children and youth will receive red envelopes filled with money from their parents. And, of course, there will be fireworks. But there are some less known traditions of this culture. Like, in |
| older times, if you were married and lived far away from your parents, you might not get to see them very often. The second day of the New Year would be your chance to see them. And on the seventh day of the year, the common man’s birthday, everyone turns a year older, no matter what day you were born! Consider which traditions you might want to adopt into your celebrations next year! |
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