Pass the grapes, it’s New Year’s
In Venezuela people give each other yellow underwear to wear into the new year for good luck.
In Britain the first person to cross the threshold on New Year’s Day is considered to be a harbinger of the household’s luck for the year. Tradition holds that the “first foot” should belong to a tall, healthy, strapping, dark-haired man, carrying symbols of abundance for the home: coal for the fire, bread for the table and whiskey for the head of the household.
In many cultures fireworks are a symbol of light in the new year. While they are restricted the rest of the year in Iceland, on New Year’s Eve anyone and everyone is allowed to light the explosives.
Colombians and other South Americans who would like to travel in the coming 12 months walk around their house witha suitcase.
A tradition that began in Spain has been adopted in many Spanish-speaking countries: At midnight people eat one grape for every stroke of the clock, symbolising luck for each month of the year.
On New Year’s Day, in parts of Switzerland, people allow a drop of cream to hit the floor, to ensure overflowing abundance in the coming year.
At midnight the Danes make a wish as they jump off chairs, literally leaping into the new year.
Many Filipinos wear new clothes with deep pockets. They fill their pockets with coins and fresh bills on New Year’s Eve, and at midnight they shake them noisily to attract prosperity in the coming year.
In Ashikaga, Japan, people participate in the Akutare Matsuri, or the Festival of Abusive Language: They climb a hill to the 1,200-year-old Saishoji temple while screaming curses and railing at employers, teachers or politicians. After that catharsis, they welcome the new year with ceremonies in the temple to allow happiness to flow in the coming months.
c. 2009 The New York Times
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