Get ready for the luckiest year where prosperity, abundance, and light shower you infinitely! Communities around the world celebrate the start of the new year with a few New Year’s Eve traditions that go way back.
Expect sprinkles of superstitions meet excitement.
Some are more well-known than others; portrayed in film and social media, and simply gushed over amongst friend groups. Whether it is food, purchases, physical activities, or certain colours, keeping an open mind is crucial when you try them out.
Nevertheless, taking a chance on these New Year’s Eve traditions won’t hurt!
Banging bread
Ireland’s New Year's Eve tradition isn’t about feasting - it’s about using bread as a tool to chase away bad spirits. Hitting Christmas bread against the walls of the house is said to clear the air and set the stage for a fresh start.
Eating 12 grapes
Eating 12 grapes - one for each stroke of midnight - is a tradition based in Spain. The fast-paced ritual promises good luck, but only if you manage to chew and swallow all the grapes before the clock finishes chiming. Fail, and you might start the year off with a mishap.
First footing
New Year's Eve is known as Hogmanay in Scotland. With their own alias, their tradition, "first footing", reigns supreme. The first person to step over the threshold after midnight should be a tall, dark-haired man, bearing gifts such as coal, shortbread, salt, a black bun, and whiskey to ensure good fortune for the year ahead. Nowadays, a guest steps out of the house before midnight to later knock on the door as the new year begins.
Leap into the new year
Rather than sitting idly by, leaping into the new year with a jump off a chair at midnight is what you’re recommended to do in Denmark. It’s believed to ward off bad luck, making the tradition a thrilling start to the year ahead.
Lucky charms galore
The holiday season in Germany and Austria is filled with good luck charms. From pigs to horseshoes, ladybugs to chimney sweeps, gifting these symbols of fortune is said to bring wealth and prosperity. Some lucky charms even come in delicious marzipan form.
Midnight kiss
As the clock strikes midnight, a kiss from a loved one is said to determine your fortune for the year ahead. A tradition rooted in English and German folklore, it suggests that the first person you kiss dictates your luck, so choose wisely!
Mistletoe dreams
While mistletoe is often reserved for Christmas smooches, in Ireland, it holds a special place on New Year’s Eve as well. If you slip a sprig of mistletoe (or holly or ivy) under your pillow, you’re said to dream of your future partner. What a whimsical tradition that might just be the perfect excuse to stay up all night.
Onions for luck
Hanging onions above your door is a quirky way to invite prosperity into your home for the Greeks. Onions are thought to represent growth and abundance, as they sprout effortlessly. On New Year’s Day, parents gently tap their children on the head with these onions to wake them, continuing a tradition that’s truly layered in meaning.
Open doors and windows
A long-standing superstition suggests that opening doors and windows at midnight allows the old year to leave and the new one to enter freely. Just be sure the old year doesn’t take all the warmth with it!
Polka dot predictions
The tradition of wearing polka dots on New Year’s Eve is more than just a fashion statement in the Philippines. It’s thought to attract wealth and good fortune for the upcoming year! After all, round shapes symbolise prosperity and abundance.
Resolutions through the ages
Making New Year’s resolutions dates back over 4,000 years to the Babylonians, who pledged to repay debts and return borrowed items. If they can keep their promises, so can you!
Run for adventure
An empty suitcase is the key to a year full of travel, according to the people of Colombia. Hence, they would run around the block with their suitcases in tow on New Year's Eve so that they’d be packing their bags for an adventurous year.
Smash and shatter
Breaking dishes on New Year's Eve is a sign of good fortune in Denmark. People take to their neighbours' doorsteps, smashing dishware to bring them luck. The more broken shards appear on your doorstep the following morning, the more beloved and lucky you are. Of course, cleaning up the mess can be a bit of a downer.
Underwear for luck
The colour of your underwear on New Year’s Eve can dictate the sort of year you’ll have. - at least many Latin American countries reckon. Yellow brings luck, red is for love, and white brings peace. Just make sure they’re clean - and hole-free!
Wave-hopping in white
Donning crisp white attire and flocking to the beach is how Brazilians usher in the new year. Tradition meets the tides as people offer gifts to Iemanjá, the sea goddess, placing them in boats and sending them off into the waves. Adding to the ritual, celebrants jump over seven waves, each expressing gratitude to Iemanjá for a past blessing. However, they don’t turn their backs on the sea until their feet are completely out of the water to avoid bad luck.