New Year’s Eve is the biggest party night in the calendar, so let your hair down and enjoy it. However you are planning to ring in the New Year, I hope it’s a good one for you. And at this time of year, as these weird and wonderful New Year traditions from across the globe show, a celebration can’t be too wacky either.
Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Felice Anno Nuovo, Venice
Number one on our list of weird and wonderful New Year traditions from across the globe takes us to Venice. The Italians are old romantics, none more so than in Venice where the whole New Year’s Eve event is themed on love. Here people are encouraged to welcome the New Year with love in their hearts and a kiss on the lips. On the stroke of midnight, every piazza is filled with kissing couples. In gives the impression of love-hearts raining overhead, although with lips locked I’m not sure how many revellers actually see it.
An Nou Fericit, Romania
If you find yourself relaxing in the country villages of Romania on New Year’s Eve, prepared to be livened up when the mask dance makes its way down the road. Here people dress in elaborate costumes as horses, bears and goats along with by a host of other masked characters, with each role having a special meaning linked to the cultural heritage of the village. The parade is bright and loud, accompanied by the rhythm of drums and like many celebrations at this time marks the end of the old and the start of the new.
Feliz año nuevo, Chile
When it came to compiling a list of weird and wonderful New Year traditions from across the globe, we had to include this slightly odd tradition! The New Year rings into summer in Chile, so many spend it watching fireworks on the beach. However, you may see others walking around the block with a suitcase, but they are not going anywhere – the suitcase is empty. The idea is they are mentally preparing for a trip in the coming year and it’s not hard for them to imagine it being somewhere sunny. Grape sales jump at this time of year too, it being thought good luck for each person to eat 12 grapes, one for each chime of the clock as midnight strikes, bringing luck for each month of the year.
Godt NytÅr, Denmark
Now I know that some of you might end the night dancing on the tables, but in Denmark this practice is not the result of one-too-many it’s thoroughly encouraged. As midnight approaches Danes will find a chair, a sofa, a tables – anything that raises them a little off the ground so that they can literally jump into the New Year. This energetic start is said to bring good luck, and is the cue to hug, kiss and pop open the champagne.
с новым годом, Russia
If you thought taking an icy dip in UK waters was for the foolhardy on New Year’s Day, then spare a thought for those partaking in Siberia’s tree-dipping tradition. Yes, that’s right, divers cut a hole in a frozen lake and jump in carrying a Christmas tree, descend to the bottom of the lake and surface to face outside temperatures of minus 20 degrees celsius. After taking that plunge the rest of the year is sure to be a breeze.