2024 is almost here! Embracing the arrival of a new year often involves unique customs and celebrations worldwide.
The diverse ways of ringing in the New Year is a good reminder to think about hopes, beliefs and aspirations for the year ahead.
Brazil
In Brazil, the New Year arrives with a vibrant white-clad crowd congregating on the beaches. It’s a celebration steeped in tradition, honouring Iemanjá, the ocean goddess of Afro-Brazilian faiths.
Along the shore, gifts are placed on boats and set adrift as offerings. Participants leap over seven waves, expressing gratitude for the year’s blessings. And as the ritual concludes, they walk away from the ocean only when their feet remain dry, avoiding the chance of unwelcome luck.
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Spain
In Spain, welcoming the New Year involves a unique grape-related tradition. As the clock strikes midnight, Spaniards participate in a ritual of consuming 12 grapes, each grape in sync with the chimes, signifying hopes for good fortune in the upcoming year.
These aren’t just any grapes; they’re the delicate, late-season, pale green variety harvested in late November or December. This long-standing tradition, dating back over a hundred years, marks a cherished practice to invite prosperity into the year ahead.
Japan
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Greece
In Greece, the onset of the New Year is greeted with a unique tradition full of symbolism and hope. Following the New Year’s Day church service, families embark on a symbolic gesture.
They seek out an onion and hang them on their doors or within their homes, representing aspirations for good health, fertility and longevity for the year.
Philippines
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La Parada’s iconic New Year’s Eve fiesta at Constantia Nek House
Picture: Jireh Foo / Unsplash