Did you know that we celebrate the New Year differently across the world?
New Year celebrations are one of the most popular ways to gather people from different countries in the world. Whether you spend it with family, friends or members of a community, it becomes easy to be creative and inspired by different cultural traditions. From legend to food or sports, it exists in many ways to build human connections and lifetime memories. Every country has its own traditions. If you are afraid of being bored this year, this might give you some ideas to travel or just try them out in your own country… but beware of the dangerous ones!
The Soccer Tournament – Ghana
Our Journey starts in Ghana, in the small village of Biakba, surrounded by wonderful mountain landscapes. The New Year is celebrated among the villagers. This event will take place, no matter how 
few resources the people have. It takes about three days for the people of the community to cut the grass with knives in order to prepare a new soccer field. Everybody in the village comes together to watch as teams compete against each other and each team wears their own jerseys for the annual New Year’s Eve Tournament. People dance and celebrate all night around a delicious dinner prepared directly from the local farms.
The Unwanted Objects – Italy
In Southern Italy, an attitude exists of “letting the old go and the new in” to banish previous bad luck. Even though this practice can be extreme, the old clothes, pots and pans or any unwanted items are thrown from upstairs windows. This act symbolizes letting go of unhappiness in preparation for the future. I would highly recommend looking up if you want to go for a walk in the South of Italy for New Year’s Eve! This tradition can be compared to Northern Italian traditions that rely on banishing malignant auras by smashing tableware in front of your house.
Always good to know!
The Spiritual Journey – Japan
Igniting the New Year in Kyoto
The Okera Festival is a traditional New Year’s celebration in Yasaka Shrine, in Kyoto’s Gion area. This traditional ritual consists of burning thin strips of wood onto which people have written their wishes. Shrine-goers then light a straw rope from the fire, which they twirl to keep the end of the rope glowing and take home with them. This rope is then used to ignite the fire at home, which helps cook the zoni, a soup served on the New Year that contains mochi rice cakes. It is prepared to protect the family from illness and disaster in the coming year.
The Spiritual Ascent in Tokyo
If you are in Tokyo Region and feel sporty, you can also decide to climb Mount Takao overnight to reach the summit on New Year’s Day. The lift and cable car from the foothills bring you up to the middle of the mountain. The walk to the top of Mount Takao takes about 40 minutes from the cable car station or the lift. Yakuo-in Temple, located along the way, begins a Buddhist prayer ceremony at midnight, giving the environs a solemn atmosphere. People make their way to the top of the mountain, wait for the 
sunrise and observe the “festival to welcome the light” at the mountain-top prayer hall. As the sun rises, the crowds shout for joy to the chanting of sutras. If you are lucky, you might even be able to see Mount Fuji from the top of the mountain. Yakuo-in is one of Japan’s most revered temples, and if you pray for good fortune, you are sure to have a good year ahead of you.
The Twelve Grapes – Mexico
“Las Doce Uvas de la Suerte” (“The Twelve Grapes of luck”) is a Spanish tradition observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It consists of eating a grape with each bell strike before midnight on December 31st. People would make 12 wishes representing each lucky month ahead.
Historically, this tradition was established in December 1909 in the region of Alicante (Spain) were vine growers, after an excellent harvest, decided to sell a huge amount of grapes. This custom became popular in the whole country because, according to them, eating twelve grapes before midnight would lead to a year of prosperity. It is also believed that the tradition wards away the witches and evil. Although this “magic” is treated like an old heritage, in modern days it’s viewed as a cultural tradition to welcome the New Year.
And many more…
These traditions are just a few samples of the world’s fascinating history and culture. A lot more customs exist for you to learn about! Volunteering abroad and immersing within local communities is a great way to learn about cultures around the world. I personally experienced the New Year Eve in Mexico and tried the Twelve Grapes of Luck tradition before midnight while watching the fireworks. It is one of my happiest memories. We would love to know more about the traditions you have seen all around the world. Have you traveled abroad for the New Year? What are the traditions that you experienced?
Contact United Planet to know more about our programs abroad.
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