What are the customs of New Year's Day in different countries?

New Year's Day is celebrated differently in different countries around the world

Just after Santa Claus has been sent away, the bells of New Year's Day are ringing again. No matter what country in the world, people are full of good hope for the new year. On this day, people from all over the world welcome the new year in their own unique and distinctive ways.

Germany: wallet put fish scales to climb high and pray for good luck

Germans attach great importance to the New Year's Day, they believe that the New Year's Day is directly related to the next year's luck. On New Year's Eve, people will light up, set off fireworks to "suppress the evil spirits", the old and welcome the new. Before the New Year's bell rings, many Germans will climb onto a chair, and when the bell rings, they will jump down and run behind the chair to show that they will get rid of the disaster. In the German countryside there is also a custom --- tree climbing contest, it is said that the higher the climb, the better luck, the highest climb every year will be known as the "New Year's hero", by other people's envy.

The Germans also have the custom of wearing new clothes on New Year's Day, and they believe that when they change to new clothes in the New Year, everything will be as they wish; and when they wear clothes in a messy way in the New Year, the whole year will not go smoothly. In addition, they will also put a few fish scales in the money clip, because fish scales are the New Year's mascot, heralding the rolling wealth; many people also nailed the horseshoe on the wall, used to "drive away the evil spirits".

Britain: scrambling for well water to welcome friends and relatives late at night

In Britain, when midnight falls, people start the traditional New Year's Eve activities, each family opens the door and takes out the small black bread that has already been prepared to entertain the guests. The first guest is often considered a symbol of luck in the new year, if the first guest is a dark-haired man, or a happy, happy and wealthy person, the host will be lucky all year round; if the first guest is a light yellow-haired woman, or a sad, poor, unfortunate person, the host in the new year will be unlucky, and will meet with difficulties and disasters.

New Year's well water is the English countryside in the middle of a long tradition, it is said that the first to hit the well water is the new year's blessed people, hit the water is good luck, so early on New Year's Day, people are scrambling to carry a bucket, to the well to go.

France: binge-drinking to quit the old year, the wind to divine the year

France's New Year's Day was originally April 1 each year, until 1564, King Charles IX changed it to January 1st. New Year's Eve, the French family reunion, drinking champagne around the table, according to tradition, this night every family should drink all the hidden wine, in order to avoid bad luck in the coming year; all should be drunk, so that the new year will have a new start. 1 January 1 early in the morning, the parents will give their children "New Year's Eve" to show their children's love and care. The first day of January, parents will give their children "new year's money" to show their love for their children.

The French believe that the weather on New Year's Day is a sign of the year to come. Early in the morning on New Year's Day, they go out to the streets to see the wind to divine: blowing the south wind, the omen of wind and rain, the year will be safe and hot; blowing the west wind, there is a fishing year; blowing the east wind, the fruit will be productive; blowing the north wind, it is a year of bad harvests.

Brazil: Hiking to find happiness meet pulling ears

After the New Year's bells rang, Brazilians held up torches, flocked to the mountains, where they scrambled to find the golden birch fruit, a symbol of happiness, an activity known as the "search for happiness". It is said that only those who defy the odds can find this rare fruit. In rural areas, there is a unique custom during the New Year --- pulling each other's ears, people meet on New Year's Day, will pull each other's ears, to express blessings.

Belgium: people to livestock to pay tribute to the New Year

In Belgium, people in the early morning of New Year's Day to do the first thing is to pay tribute to the livestock, the Belgian people will go to the cattle, sheep, and their own pets dogs and cats around the side of the fanciful to them to greet: "Happy New Year!"

The Italians believe that the night before New Year's Day, the sound of the sky can drive away the evil spirits, and seek a New Year's Eve, so people that night, non-stop fireworks, but also wantonly break everything that can be broken, from small dishes to large tanks and altars, and the debris thrown out onto the street. On New Year's Day, every family should burn a fire in the house, and the whole day can not be extinguished. Italians believe that fire from the sun, New Year's Day fire, the next year will not see the sun, will attract bad luck.

Mexico: New Year's Eve is not allowed to laugh

Mexico's New Year's Eve customs are a bit strange, people in the New Year's Day is prohibited to laugh. Mexicans divide the year into 18 months, each month has about 20 days, according to traditional customs, if you want to get good luck, the last five days of the year is not allowed to laugh.

The United States, a nation of immigrants, does not have a long history, so New Year's Day folk celebrations are relatively tame compared with other countries, except for the revelry and the eating and drinking, and people mostly stay home and watch TV or sleep in. However, California's New Year's Day celebrations are unique, with roses displayed all over the streets and dozens of colorful flower-decorated cars carrying beautiful young women in dresses. People will be elected during the festival rose queen and rose princess of the year, in the appreciation of the beauty of the ushered in the New Year.

Spain: people compete to eat grapes

In Spain, when the clock at 12 o'clock on New Year's Eve just started to ring the first time, people will compete to eat grapes, and if they can eat 12 grapes according to the sound of the clock, it will symbolize that the New Year's every month are peaceful and satisfactory, and there are also different meanings for each grape, such as the first one, "peace", the fifth one, "peace", and the fifth one, "peace", and the fifth one, "peace". And each grape has a different meaning, such as the first one "for peace", the fifth one "for harmony", the sixth one "for refuge", the seventh one "to get rid of diseases"... ...

On New Year's Day, Spanish parents are especially "kind" and will fulfill all their children's requests because, according to local custom, cursing, fighting and crying are bad omens. At the same time, most Spaniards carry a gold or copper coin as a sign of good luck. McDull

Huashang Daily, January 1, 2004

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