American New Year traditions include the ball drop in Times Square, the Tournament of Roses Parade, fireworks, year-end lists, New Year’s resolutions, a toast and/or a kiss at midnight, Auld Lang Syne, and predictions for the year ahead. Here are some other customs you might not be as familiar with.
1. Años Viejos
In Ecuador, December 31st is time to ceremonially burn an effigy named Años Viejos, or Years Old. The dummies are made of old clothes and sticks or sawdust for stuffing, and often made to look like someone who has made a negative impact during the year, such as a politician. See pictures of many different Años Viejos here.
2. First-Footer
Scotland marks Hogmanay on December 31st, although the celebration lasts several days, with customs varying by locality. One of the customs associated with the new year is that of the first-footer, or the first person to visit your home after midnight on New Year’s Day. It is good luck if your first-footer is a tall handsome man with dark hair, preferably bringing a small gift. Remnants of this custom are found in America, too -I have a relative who gets very upset if the first person who calls her in the new year is a woman.
More traditions from all over, after the jump.
3. Twelve Grapes
New Year’s Eve is called Nochevieja, or the Old Night in Spain. The tradition is to eat twelve grapes at midnight, as the twelve chimes ring in the new year. Try stuffing twelve grapes in your mouth in twelve seconds, and you’ll see how funny this can be! The twelve grapes are also eaten at midnight in other countries that have a Spanish influence. In Spain, wearing red underwear for the new year brings good luck; in other countries, the underwear should be yellow. No doubt, clothing vendors cater to these traditions.
4. Olie Bollen
In the Netherlands, New Year’s Eve is a relaxed family holiday until midnight, then it’s party time in the streets with fireworks and revelry! The Dutch serve doughnuts or fritters called Olie Bollen, traditionally served for breakfast or snacks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Make your own Olie Bollen with this recipe.
5. Black-Eyed Peas and Hog Jowls
In the American South, you must eat a meal of pork (originally hog jowl), black-eyed peas, and greens on New Year’s Day to ensure a good year ahead. Hog jowl symbolizes health (believe it or not), black-eyed peas represent good luck, and greens (originally cabbage, but mustard or collard greens are used also) symbolize money. Local variations include ham hocks, ham, or bacon for hog jowl, saurkraut, cabbage rolls, Hoppin’ John, or other soups or casseroles that contain these items.
6. Dinner for One
In Germany and Scandinavia, TV stations broadcast Dinner For One, a British comedy sketch about a woman celebrating her 90th birthday. The sketch has nothing to do with the New Year holiday, but has become such a tradition that it landed in The Guiness Book of World Records as the most repeated TV show ever! In the routine, Miss Sophie has outlived her friends, so her butler plays the part of each at the birthday dinner, which means he must drink multiple toasts. The most popular 18 minute version with a German introduction can be found at Google Video. YouTube has a 10 minute version of the same sketch, seen here.
What traditions do you observe for the New Year holiday?
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For a number of years, my circle of friends engaged in ceremonial turnip throwing. This tradition was born of much booze and leftover stew ingredients on a particularly surreal 12/31/99.
The “ritual” involved carving runes or random inscriptions into your turnip and throwing it at midnight while shouting “Frank Gifford rocks Discordia!” (It’s a long story)
I think the record was 25-30 people throwing turnips in the middle of a townhouse development in 2003.
posted by EMStoveken on 12-31-2008 at 12:17 pm
I’m pretty sure a tall, handsome, dark-haired, gift-bearing man is a sign of fortune no matter what day it is.
I’ll be having black eyed peas, no hog jowls though.
posted by Aemi on 12-31-2008 at 12:20 pm
Where are my morning cup o’ links? I feel lost!
posted by Brans on 12-31-2008 at 12:54 pm
Brans, the management was kind enough to suspend that for the holidays. I’ve had a hard time doing anything with all these kids on school break! But the morning cup of links will return tomorrow.
posted by Miss Cellania on 12-31-2008 at 1:13 pm
Interesting article and thanks for referencing bootsnall. We also recently published an article about 5 unique New Year Drops (Traditions vs Drops).
Cheers Miss Cellania!
posted by Sean on 12-31-2008 at 1:37 pm
My family always eats pizza on New Year’s Eve (mainly because pizza places are one of the few restaurants open late). Then on New Year’s Day, we eat sauerkraut for good health. When I was younger, my mother only made us eat one strand, but now I generally eat quite a bit.
The other tradition we have for New Year’s Day is all the children receive a gift, but not of the usual sort. It is something that our parents want us to improve in the coming year. For example, while we were in college, they gave us tuition. When I was a young teenager with low self esteem, they made manicure appointments for me once a month.
posted by Goddess Of Hugs on 12-31-2008 at 2:21 pm
Hogmanay is the best celebration. I was there a few years ago, we lit this huge viking on fire, the was a great concert, and thousands of people flooded on the cobble stone street (the royal mile) everyone kisses eachother in passing on the streets, hence why I was very ill the following days, it couldn’t have been from all those pints, right? haha
posted by jodie on 12-31-2008 at 2:38 pm
Here in Mexico red underwear is for love, and I think that yellow is the color for good luck, but I’m not that informed.
posted by Roberto on 12-31-2008 at 2:42 pm
Hog Jowl, Collard Greens, and Black-Eyed Peas. Cornbread also but that is for every meal. Nothing better unless you add in some fried fatback. Where else but the South can you deep fry fat and call it good eats.
posted by Kev in GA on 12-31-2008 at 3:15 pm
I’ve never understood why the Philadelphia Mummer’s Day Parade – an older, cooler, more original celebration of New Year’s Day doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
posted by Christopher Wink on 12-31-2008 at 5:18 pm
I live on the border of Texas and Mexico and have enjoyed eating the 12 grapes. Its so funny seeing my older relatives stuffing their faces with grapes! We eat one on every chime but we are supposed to make a wish for each month.
Some people wear red underwear for love. Many people clean and organize their house so that you have a healthy and organized year.
Also, I’ve only just heard of this one, at the stroke of midnight you are supposed to get a small suitcase (like a duffel bag, a small carry-on bag, nothing huge) and run around your house, clockwise, 3 times to ensure you travel, or have good travels, this coming year.
posted by Arianni on 12-31-2008 at 6:20 pm
I have developed an ABSURDLY detailed personal tradition for New Year’s Day. Certain elements can be altered as circumstances demand, but the one of First Foods of the New Year is fixed.
Three slices of baguette (cannot be sourdough) topped with, in strict order:
1. Sea-salt and extra-virgin olive oil (ideally Greek). Accompanied by bottled spring water (ideally Ty Nant, still) drunk from a stone cup. One bite, then one sip, for a total of three each.
2. Honey (usually clover) and butter (must be unsalted), drunk with pure cream from a wooden cup in like manner.
(This one’s been tricky lately, since it’s been harder and harder to find cream without agents and preservatives. Last couple of times I’ve gone with raw cream from a health food store, but can’t this year; I’m going to do this with my new hubby and his immunity is compromised from a bone marrow transplant. I’ll probably go with half-and-half — which I’ve always avoided in years past, but it does sound symbolic of the married state! Or alternately, substitute clotted cream for the butter and drink plain milk.)
3. Soft cheese spread (preferably French) and caviar, drunk with champagne from an engraved glass.
Afterward, hard cider from a drinking horn.
My mom broke a hip one New Year’s Eve and I stayed with her in the hospital. I didn’t take a drop of water or a bite of food after midnight until very late on New Year’s Day when I was allowed to take an hour to dash back home, eat and dash back.
posted by VM on 12-31-2008 at 8:27 pm
aww, olie ballen. it means oil balls. hah. :)
i’m going to make some tomorrow; maybe one year i’ll actually get to have some in holland on new year’s eve.
posted by Em on 1-1-2009 at 1:45 am
‘Oliebollen’ is actually written as one word (I’m Dutch and I’m making my own every New Year’s eve) and the singular is ‘oliebol’. But they’re indeed VERY TASTY! Try making them once if you’re intrested. We’re also not eating them for breakfast usually… Mostly just around midnight.
I love this kind of articles so much, just checking what other cultures like to do at the same days…
posted by Didi on 1-1-2009 at 5:03 am
We have ano viejo men in Colombia too… but sometimes we stuff them with fireworks! Lots of fun!
posted by Rachel on 1-1-2009 at 1:34 pm
For the past several years I have gotten a violent cold and laryngitis on New Years Eve. That was one tradition I was happy to break this year–Yay!
My family does the whole black eyed peas thing…although no one eats them, they just want them to be there on New Years Day. I know…us Southerners!
posted by KerriH on 1-2-2009 at 12:49 am
I’ve consumed Hoppin’ John every New Year’s Day since I could chew solid food and I’ve never heard of including greens. The key ingredients are: rice, black eyed peas, ham, onion, and bacon fat (usually used to cook the onions and flavor the dish). Many people in the South also eat it with cornbread and greens on the side, but it is by no means a “must.”
posted by HP on 1-3-2009 at 3:19 pm
In Venezuela and Peru I´ve heard of the following:
- 12 grapes
- running around the block with a suitcase for travel
- yellow underwear for good luck
This year we spent NYE in Playa del Carmen (Mexico) in a very small bar with a live musician where the tradition (apparently) was giving all the patrons shots of tequila. :)
posted by GTT on 1-6-2009 at 12:20 pm
My family does a puzzle, has the tv on a channel with a countdown and eats various cheeses. Its also become a tradition to make me laugh whenever I try to eat a cupcake at any family gathering.
posted by maddie on 2-15-2009 at 4:34 pm
#5 is very familiar to me. I remember very well one of my great-aunts serving black-eyed-peas for wealth and cabbage for health.
posted by Ben H. on 12-30-2010 at 12:17 pm
In the south, it’s supposed to be black-eyed peas for luck, greens for wealth, and cornbread for fortune. I’ve never heard of specifically eating jowls for anything, other than flavoring the black eyed peas
posted by franklin on 12-30-2010 at 11:56 pm