Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Cultural "New Year" Celebrations


Tomorrow is the last day of 2014. Everybody says goodbye to 2014 and welcomes 2015 through different celebrations. At the last minutes of the year, some of them are eating special meals, some are cleaning all house to get rid of "dirty" old year or some are whistling. For sure, every one of us wishes same things to have a happy and healthy new year. Let’s have a look on how different cultures celebrate coming New Year.

Brazil

 
In the first day of New Year, people eat lentil soup or rice with lentil. On 31 Dec, small canoes which have flowers and candles inside are left on the ocean from Ipanema beach. Another tradition coming from 1992 is letting thousands of balloons out to sky.






Romania

Based on an old tradition, people dress bearskin and dance at streets. This helps to remove devil around.






 
South Africa

If you would like to walk on the streets on New Year’s Day, please watch out! Throwing an old good like a plate out from window of house to street is a tradition on New Year’s Day. So you remove old things and welcome new ones.

 
 
Scotland

At midnight of 31 Dec, it is a tradition coming from Vikings to make a ‘fire’ dance. This brings luck.

 
 
 

Colombia


In front of each houses, people burn puppets which are made from wood and paper and represent bad souls. With this, they believe they start to a fresh year without any harm or danger.

 
 
 
Greece

They hang onions at their doors on New Year Eve. This is a sign of renaissance. At the morning of 1st Jan, parents hit those onions to head of their kids to wake them up.

 
 
 
 
Argentina
 
They believe eating dried beans before midnight on New Year Eve brings luck in coming year. Some of them walks with a luggage in front of their houses at that evening, because they believe this will help them to travel a lot in the New Year.

 
 
Finland

On the New Year Eve, they melt lead and pour it into cold water. They try to read future from small frozen pieces of lead.
 
 
 
 
Happy Celebrations and Great 2015 to every one !