4 New Year Traditions From Around the World

V1 Staff |

Every country and culture rings in the New Year a little differently. Here is a quick cultural lessons on how to celebrate diversity while counting down to 2017.

CHINESE NEW YEAR

In China, the New Year is marked by a big reunion dinner that brings family members together. Before the New Year, families give their homes a good cleaning to sweep out bad luck from the old year. The Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days, and ends with the Lantern Festival, which features children carrying paper lanterns at night. The beginning of the Chinese New Year falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21. In 2017, it will be on Jan. 28.

JEWISH NEW YEAR

Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration marking the start of the Jewish year. This year, it began at sunset on Oct. 2 and ended at nightfall on Oct. 4. The religious service includes the blowing of the shofar – a hollowed-out ram’s horn – and the reciting of special prayers. Traditional foods include apples dipped in honey to represent hope for a sweet new year. In some parts of the world, Jews conduct a ritual called “tashlikh,” which includes saying prayers near water to cast away sins; sometimes, bread or pebbles are thrown in the water symbolically.

NORWEGIAN NEW YEAR

New Year’s Day – or “Nyttarsdag” – is marked by unique dishes, including rice pudding with an almond hidden inside (tradition says the person who finds the nut will have good fortune). There are also fireworks and speeches by the king (Norway still has one of those) and the prime minister. During this season, children would traditionally dress in costumes and go door to door singing carols in exchange for goodies. (Much like Halloween in the United States, without the spookiness.) If the kids came by at Christmas, this was known as Julebukk (“Christmas Goat”), and if they came on New Year’s Eve, it was Nyttarsbukk (“New Year’s Goat”). 

GERMAN NEW YEAR

In Germany – as in many countries – it’s traditional to welcome the New Year with fireworks, which are set off in streets and rooftops at midnight. The pyrotechnics are followed by jelly doughnuts, which are known as “Berliners” outside of Berlin, where they call them “Pfannkuchen” (pancakes). Eat them carefully: A common practical joke is replacing the jelly with mustard! A big meal usually follows on the evening of New Year’s Day, with carp and pickled herring as popular dishes. According to legend, keeping one of the carp’s scales in your wallet all year will ensure you never run out of money.