New year is a time for fresh starts, hopes, dreams and saying goodbye to the Old year. At this time of festive camaraderie and reflection, online travel adviser offers its Top 10 favorite New Year (2013) traditions across the globe.
1. Germany & Finland: On New Year's Eve in Germany and Finland, family and friends come together for a spot of lead pouring-BleigieBen in German and uudenvuodentina in Finnish, make predictions for the coming year. It isn't and exact science and there are no firm rules. A bubbly surface can mean money is coming your way, a broken shape misfortune, Ships refer travelling, a ball means luck, a monkey says beware of false friends.
2. Mexico: In Mexico, families celebrate New Year's with a mix of religion,tradition,superposition and special festive foods. To start the year with a clean slate, another tradition involves writing a list of all the bad and unhappy events that happened over the year, then before midnight the list is thrown into a fire and the negative feelings of the past year are gone.
3.Wales: Calening, the welsh name for New Year, means New Year celebration or gift and since ancient times the tradition in Wales been to give gifts and money to friends, family and neighbors. Today, it is customary to give bread and cheese on New Year's morning, with children receiving skewered apples covered with raisins and fruit. In some parts of Wales, people must visit all their relatives by midday to collect their Calening. That's a lot of bread and cheese.!
4.Japan: The Japanese New Year is marked with a range of cultural and religious traditions from eating special family meals and making temple visits to sending postcards. It is customary to send handwritten New Year's Day Post Cards.
5. Philippines: In the Philippines, New Year's Eve is a public holiday and people usually celebrate in the company of family and close friends. Traditionally, most households host attend a Dinner party (Media Noche).
6. Scotland: There are many customs, local and national, linked with Hogmany(Scot word). The most wide spread is the practice of 'first-footing' which starts immediately after midnight. First-footing involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbor's homeand giving symbolic gifts such as salt, coal, shortbread, Whisky, and black bun.
7.Ecuador: One of Ecuador's traditions seems men putting on their finest frocks and dressing up as women to represent the 'widow' of the year that has passed. At midnight families and communities come together to light fireworks and burn Monigotes of politicians, public figures and popular culture icons.
8. Greece: While Christmas in Greece is a relatively solemn occasion, New Year's Day is filled with celebrations and gift giving. January 1 is the name day of Aghios Vassilis (St.Basil), the Greek Santa Claus. On the morning of New Year's Eve, children go door to door and ask permission to sing Carols (Kalnata) to bring good wishes and announce the coming of Santa Claus to their house.
9.Italy: The evening begins with the traditional dish (Ctechino-pork). They believe that this dish brings good luck and prosperity in the coming year to those who eat them on New Year's Eve and represent money that you will earn in the coming year.
10.Chile: The citizens of Chile have developed a range of traditions to bring them luck and help make their wishes come true in the New Year. Eating lentils and downing a dozen grapes - one for each month of the year - on New Year's Eve will ensure prosperity in the coming year as well as drinking a glass of champagne with a gold ring inside is a good fortune.
Tags: Best places for 2013, New celebrations, New year parties abroad, New year traditions in the world.
1. Germany & Finland: On New Year's Eve in Germany and Finland, family and friends come together for a spot of lead pouring-BleigieBen in German and uudenvuodentina in Finnish, make predictions for the coming year. It isn't and exact science and there are no firm rules. A bubbly surface can mean money is coming your way, a broken shape misfortune, Ships refer travelling, a ball means luck, a monkey says beware of false friends.
4.Japan: The Japanese New Year is marked with a range of cultural and religious traditions from eating special family meals and making temple visits to sending postcards. It is customary to send handwritten New Year's Day Post Cards.
6. Scotland: There are many customs, local and national, linked with Hogmany(Scot word). The most wide spread is the practice of 'first-footing' which starts immediately after midnight. First-footing involves being the first person to cross the threshold of a friend or neighbor's homeand giving symbolic gifts such as salt, coal, shortbread, Whisky, and black bun.
7.Ecuador: One of Ecuador's traditions seems men putting on their finest frocks and dressing up as women to represent the 'widow' of the year that has passed. At midnight families and communities come together to light fireworks and burn Monigotes of politicians, public figures and popular culture icons.
9.Italy: The evening begins with the traditional dish (Ctechino-pork). They believe that this dish brings good luck and prosperity in the coming year to those who eat them on New Year's Eve and represent money that you will earn in the coming year.
Tags: Best places for 2013, New celebrations, New year parties abroad, New year traditions in the world.