Details about the Unique New Year Traditions in Different in the World
UNIQUE NEW YEAR TRADITIONS – Listed here are some of the New Year’s eve practices in other countries that you may have yet to hear about.
Now that it’s holiday season in many countries across the globe, it is the time again for the practice of the unique traditions of each nation. Aside from wearing a shirt or dress in Peach Fuzz which is the 2024 color of the year of Pantone, the people in different countries are preparing to once again observe the unique New Year traditions in their nation.
Building an old man sculpture
In India, a lot of househlds build a sculpture of an old man in the days leading to the new year. On New Year’s eve, the said scuplture is burned at midnight as it is considered a symbol of the old year. Indians believe that it signifies leaving behind the old year’s grievances and making space for the new year.
Sharing of soup joumou
Also one of the unique New Year traditions is the sharing of soup joumou, a pumpkin soup, in Haiti. The January 1 is a Haitian Independence Day and the people celebrate it by visiting other people’s houses and bringing some joumou and swap it with the household’s pumpkin soup. The said soup was the food that the enslaved Black people were not allowed to eat until their independence.
Giving away homemade tamales
In Mexico, households make tamales which is a corn dough stuffed with meat, veggies, and cheese and wrapped in husks. They are given away to families and loved ones on New Year’s eve and it is often given with the Mexican soup made from cow’s stomach called Menudo.
Placing 3 potatoes under the bed
Also one of the unique New Year traditions is the aguero or the practice of placing three (3) potatoes under the bed of each family member. It is practiced in Colombia. One of the potatoes is unpeeled which is believed to signify good fortune while the other is peeled which Colombians believe to signify financial struggle. The other potato is partially peeled and believed to signify a combination of financial struggle and good fortune.
On midnight of New Year’s eve, each member will grab one potato from under his/her bed which indicates either good fortune, financial struggle, or both.
Listening to Big Ben’s bells
Also one of the unique New Year traditions takes place in England as the people await the ringing of the Big Ben bell and singing the “Auld Lang Syne” after it while joining hands together.
