Comments on: 10 Unusual Traditions for Ringing in the New Year around the World

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:04:10 +0000

Yankee New Year: saurkraut and ribs. Yep, it’s just as nasty as it sounds. I immeddiately adopted blackeyed peas as soon as I could.

By: fanila

fanila — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:08:31 +0000

Good tips on dressing. I would like to add if you want to have an Indian traditional look but don’t know how to wear sari go for Choli skirts http://www.kaneesha.com/choli_index.cfm. I recently bought one from the site kaneesha.com it was alluring.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:09:56 +0000

Nester is right, #2 (eating grapes) isn’t just in Spain, it happens all over Latin America. We also have a tradition of taking luggage and going around the block with it to represent traveling to new places in the coming year. We also get a bucket of water and dump it outside.

By: romanian

romanian — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 05:31:27 +0000

never heard of the romanian traditions mentioned here. could be very localized.
did the grape eating in rio (brazil) and jumped over the first 7 waves at the beach. for luck in the new year. wore white, too.

By: phaedrus

phaedrus — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:41:51 +0000

They’re actually called janeiras, with an “A”.

By: jnd

jnd — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:29:34 +0000

Puerto Rico must be an awesome country! Oh wait.

By: Orchid64

Orchid64 — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:37:42 +0000

One of the problems with these types of lists is that even when the content is accurate, it can easily misrepresent the reality. In Japan, they do hang paper strips and they represent purification, but the Japanese have no deep belief in their power. It’s simply a tradition with no meaning to the vast majority of people. Also, \forget the year\ parties are really just an excuse for people to socialize and get drunk. There’s no sincere effort to forgive and forget and few people view them as having that purpose.

If someone said that Americans sacrifice live trees and give gifts as a representation of the gifts given to baby Jesus by the three wise men, it’d technically be correct, but it’d also be misleading. Most people don’t see their celebrations in that light.

By: xtaaxtw

xtaaxtw — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 08:19:48 +0000

Hope China will be your first choice if you want to travel.One day, when you are in China ,you will find it is worthy.

By: Kristin

Kristin — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:46:05 +0000

It’s a Chinese tradition not to take out the trash or clean the house on New Year’s so that you don’t accidentally dispose of your good luck. Among other things.

Even though January 1st isn’t the start of the Chinese calendar..

By: Lisa H

Lisa H — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 02:42:02 +0000

I’ve heard a few different underwear colour tales from several places in the past week but danged if I can remember what colours are tradition from where.