New Years Eve Traditions in Various Countries of the World

New Years Eve

The last day of the year as the eve sets in, just before the dawning of a bright new year is celebrated worldwide. In Australia the largest celebrations are held in Melbourne and Sydney. It is party time and wonderful firework displays especially along Sydney harbour is orchestrated. Over a million and a half revelers partake in this annual event in each of the cities mentioned.

In Brazil, the Corrida de Sylvestre, the Saint Sylvester marathon is a yearly event where athletes parade downtown in Saint Sao Brazil. Brazilians also traditionally wear white on New Years Eve.

In Canada, New Years Eve is either celebrated with family or friends in parties and social gatherings. It is traditional in Montreal to go out to dinner and show for New Years Eve as an alternative to staying home with family. There are fireworks and partygoers everywhere on the streets of Montreal and Toronto. The Montreal streets are still lit up from Christmas.

In Quebec the tradition is a bit different from the rest of Canada. La Veille (eve) is also celebrated with what is called a reveillon. Reveillon comes from the word Reveille or waking, because it transpires on the dawn of either Christmas or New Years Day. At midnight many Roman Catholics go to midnight mass on the Christmas Eve and come home to a big meal, and presents are exchanged at that point. However, for New Years Eve, the family still has the big meal and dance and sing and bring out the bubbly along with an assortment of wines and fine cheeses. The meal is elaborate with lots of seafood, such as oysters and lobster and crab, tourtiere (hamburger meat pie), turkey, six pailles (a pie made with six different meats and potatoes), and more. A Buche de Noel (Christmas log) and St. Honore (cake made with cream and fruit) are also served in Quebec.

France has a similar celebration called the Reveillon de Saint Sylvestre, in fact the Quebec traditions all stem from the French Reveillon.

The celebrations last the entire month in the French Quarter of New Orleans, in the United States.

In Denmark New Year's Eve is called nytårsaften and it is celebrated with a big dinner with close family and friends. The traditional kransekage or Danish Ring cake is served. Many Danes listen to the Queen's New Year Eve's speech and watch the clock turn midnight in Copenhagen Square and the fireworks begin.

Berlin Germany hosts the biggest New Year's Eve, known as New Year's Eve Sylvester celebration in all of Europe with firecrackers and fireworks at the Brandenburg Gate. They will also watch a theatre production from England called Dinner for One.

China will celebrate the Lunar New Years months later but there are some pockets of the country that will celebration New Years Eve and Day according to our Western Gregorian Calendar.

The people of Hong Kong love to bring in the New Year by looking at the harbour lights and celebrating at Central, Causeway Bay, and Tsim Sha Tsui. The Times Square Mall hosts its own ball drop celebration for the Times Square in New York celebration.

Bollywood actors come out in style celebrating the New Year in the larger cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai in India where there are many concerts and festivities planned for the festive occasion.

No nation knows how to celebrate New Years Eve like the people of Indonesia; they have in Jakarta a music show, the countdown, fireworks and other festivities each year. The Trumpet is sounded off and there are fireworks at the Dago open field and Pasupati Bridge in Bandung, where family and friends appreciate them.

Oíche Chinn Bliana, Oíche na Coda Móire or Oíche Chaille is New Year's Eve in Ireland. The Irish celebrate along the Liffey River in Dublin. The celebration is modest compared to other countries.

Fireworks go off at midnight in Italy, the president reads his New Year's Speech, and people dress in red underwear to bring the New Year's in. Italians traditionally eat zampone or cotechino (spicy sausage and lentils).

Japan's tradition is quite interesting, they clean their houses and prepare Kadomatu and or shimenawa to welcome in the New Year's God, Toshigami. The bells ring in all Buddhist temples from December 31 to January 1. The bells are rung for bonno a time when Buddhists repent man's defilements.

The bells chime in Mexico for New Year's Eve, the people anxiously await the countdown. There are traditions such as putting out luggage to insure future trips, making wishes, sweeping out dirt, wearing red underwear if you want to find a mate and wearing yellow if you want money in the new year, and hanging up sheep dolls for luck.

In Peru, the people make effigies of political people that are disliked, and stuff them with firecrackers and set them off at midnight.

Peruvians eat twelve grapes wishing upon each of them to usher in good health for the New Year. They also wear yellow underwear to benefit from the positive energy of the New Year and they will walk around the block with a suitcase to ensure the ability to travel to their dream destinations in the New Year.

In the Philippines, the celebration is spent with family and friends. They will wear special clothing with designs such as polka dots. The Polka dots represent circles that attract money. Round fruits are eaten for the same reason. The meat is usually barbequed and there is Hamon or Lechon (roast pig) and again with the circular tradition, the shaking of coins in a casserole.

Noisemakers, horns, banging of pots and pans are also done to keep away the evil spirits. There are many parties complete with fireworks that are hosted by the government or private sectors to celebrate New Year's Eve.

The Former Soviet Union celebrate as a pre Christmas ritual on New Year's Eve since their Christmas in the Orthodox Christian community is January 7. They will decorate a spruce tree, and the kids and adults exchange gifts at midnight. They also celebrate the upcoming New Year at this time as well.

Many countries across the world including Canada and the USA have the traditional opening of the house door to symbolically shove the old year out and usher in the wonderful New Year.

In Spain there is the wearing of red underwear and the eating of twelve grapes previously discussed and traditional lamb, shrimp or turkey is served. The fireworks, the countdown, the parties, and young people going out to the pubs and clubs follow to make New Years a festive occasion. The celebration goes on into the wee hours of the morning followed by "the traditional winter breakfast of chocolate con churros (hot chocolate and fried pastry).

The streets are lit up in Turkey (like here in Quebec) and many concerts and festivities take place including a TV performance by the Mehter - Janissary Band that has been around since the days of the Ottoman Empire.

United Kingdom

The fireworks go off in London, the Edinburgh cannon is fired in honour of the New Year and television specials are televised throughout the UK.

United States

The tradition of the New Year's Eve ball drop is 100 years old. Guy Lumbardo and his Royal Canadians was a popular performance from 1956 - 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Dick Clark has had his New Year's Rockin' Eve from 1972 - 2006. This year Dick Clarks New Year's Rockin Eve with Ryan Seacrest was held in the frigid temperatures of New York City's Time Square, though nobody complained. The revelers toasted in the New Year with warmth and style.