Comments on: 6 New Year Traditions from Around the World

By: Bri

Bri — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:07:00 +0000

It’s interesting to see what European traditions have passed into African American culture. Black eyed peas are a must in AA families regardless of the geographical location (at least, mine and all the ones I know). My great grandmother also required the first person to cross the threshold on New Year’s to be a man, and preferably a light-skinned man.

By: Philip

Philip — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Nice one about the oliebollen. I already had two today and the night is still young on this side of the water. Happy new year and check out the ‘Mental_Floss inspired’ website http://www.faqt.nl

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:51:00 +0000

When I was a child, my mother would set up the card table on the morning of New Year’s Eve and lay out a jig saw puzzle, usually containing at least 5000 pieces. During the day and all evening, anyone passing by the table would find it impossible to pass without finding at least one piece and putting it in place. Mom always stayed up until the puzzle was finished and almost never made it till midnight. Pary on, Mom!

By: jurkis

jurkis — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:50:57 +0000

Russians (and post Soviets) usually wath film “Ирония судьбы или с лёгким паром”.

By: Grey

Grey — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:47:01 +0000

But interesting if the dark-haired lad plays his cards right.

By: Pol x

Pol x — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:51:59 +0000

As a Scot on new years day I can add a wee bit more info on the Scottish tradition of “first footing” the tall dark man should come carrying whisky and coal, whisky for your glass and coal for the home’s hearth in the year ahead.

Also when you open the door to him you have to open the back door too, to allow the old year out as the new year enters.

Oddly Scotland tends to breed shorter people than is the average in the UK and we have the highest levels of red headedness in the world, which can cause the a tall dark haired lad’s evening to be a bit busy.

By: Gaby

Gaby — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:48:11 +0000

About the underwear thing, you have to wear differently colored underwear to get what you want, as in
red underwear = luck in love
yellow underwear = luck with money and business
green underwear = health

By: Barbara

Barbara — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 05:19:39 +0000

For future reference, “Años viejos” should be translated “Old years”, as the adjective follows the noun in Spanish. ¡Un Próspero Año Nuevo!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:44:47 +0000

My wife is Dutch (both parents emigrated from there as teenagers), so ole bolen (no ‘i’ in ole, but pronounced o-lee) is big with her family. I was pretty disgusted to find out that the literal translation of ole bolen is “fat balls”. Yikes (but tasty!)

Happy New Year, Miss C.!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 02:57:02 +0000

I’m from Alabama, and the only tradition that I have ever heard for New Years in the South is to eat black eye peas and cornbread.