Across Mexico, as the clock strikes midnight on December 31, people traditionally stuff 12 grapes into their mouths—one for each chime of the clock—to ensure good luck for every month of the coming year.
Many also wear colored underwear to influence their fate in the months ahead: red signifies love, yellow symbolizes wealth, and white represents peace.
But Mexico isn’t the only country with unique New Year’s traditions. Around the world, unusual customs often reflect deep cultural beliefs and practices.
In the United States, there’s an infatuation with dropping objects—a custom that symbolizes the passage of time and the transition from the old year to the new. While the iconic ball drop in New York’s Times Square is recognized worldwide, other cities put their own spin on the tradition: Georgia drops peaches, Idaho potatoes and North Carolina a giant acorn, for example.
Elsewhere, people engage in symbolic rituals to usher in good fortune. In some countries, buckets of water are thrown out of windows to ward off evil spirits, while others clean their homes thoroughly to sweep away bad luck and welcome prosperity. On New Year’s Day, many brave icy waters, diving into freezing lakes or rivers as a gesture of renewal and endurance.
Here are ten more fascinating customs from around the globe:
1. Walking with Suitcases (Colombia): Colombians walk around the block at midnight with empty suitcases to invite travel opportunities in the coming year.
2. First-Footing (Scotland): In Scotland, the “first-footer” (the first visitor of the new year) brings symbolic gifts such as coal, salt, or whisky to ensure prosperity and health.
3. Plate Throwing (Denmark): Danes throw plates at the doors of friends and family for good luck. The larger the pile of broken crockery at your door, the more fortune you’ll have.
4. Bread Banging (Ireland): Irish households bang loaves of bread against walls and doors to chase away bad spirits and secure prosperity.
5. Polka Dots and Coins (Philippines): Polka-dotted clothing is worn to attract wealth, as the dots resemble coins. Many also fill their pockets with coins for extra luck.
6. Year-Crossing Noodles (Japan): In Japan, people eat toshikoshi soba (year-crossing noodles) to symbolize longevity and the cutting off of past misfortunes.
7. Hanging Onions (Greece): Greeks hang onions on their doors as a sign of rebirth and fertility. Some parents even tap their children’s heads with onions to wake them on New Year’s Day.
8. Marzipan Pigs (Austria): Austrians exchange marzipan pigs, or Glücksschwein, as tokens of good fortune.
9. Molten Fortune-Telling (Germany and Finland): In Germany and Finland, molten tin or lead is poured into water. The resulting shapes are interpreted to predict future health, wealth or happiness.
10. Lucky Meals (Estonia): Many Estonians eat seven, nine or 12 meals on New Year’s Day, believing these numbers bring strength and luck for the year ahead.