A List Of Strange New Year Customs The World Over

Love The Hair!

Because of Internet troubles over the last couple of weeks, I wasn't able to get this list of strange things that people do for New Year's up before now.  So, for what it's worth, here it is; and again Happy Healthy New Year!!

In the Philippines the focus is on all things round...as in coins, for a New Year filled with prosperity.  They do everything from eat round fruits, like grapes, to serving food only on round dishes of any sorts, to wearing clothes with polka dots all over them!

Speaking of Grapes, one can always expect strange holiday customs from Spain.  Why I don't know!!??  But at midnight of the New Year Spaniards believing in the custom of having good luck and fortune in the year to come eat 12 grapes.  The trick is to eat them before the clock stops chiming.

In Germany and Austria, pouring molten lead into a container of cold water is the thing to do for New Years.  The weird lead shapes are then examined to predict what will happen in the new year.  If the lead forms a ball, it means good luck.  If, on the other hand, it forms a anchor help will be needed with weather the year to come.  And.....God forbid, it forms a cross, well then just means you won't be seeing any more New Year's parties....you are going to die.

In Ecuador (in a addition to the underwear thing mentioned earlier) people burn stuff from the old year that they do not want in the new year.  Most of these consist of portraits and effigy dolls.  That just sounds like a block party bonfire to me!

In Belarus, unmarried grils play various kinds of games to determine who will marry in the new year and in what order they will wed.  One of the strangest and most popular games involves piles of corn and rooster....I'm not kidding, you just can't make this stuff up!

In related matters, Irish place mistletoe leaves under their pillows at the new year to find a husband.  And as a two-for-oner, this same custom is also believed whip away your bad luck at the same time.  That's convenient!

Finely, one of the strangest of all comes from Denmark.  Friends and neighbors break dishes on the doorways of other friends and neighbors.  It is believed that the doorway with largest pile of broken dishes is the house with the best luck and that the "fortunate" occupants have tons of loyal friends, especially if the dishes or glasses have any gold leaf on them!