Author:  Maria Alfano

New years traditions are tons of fun.  You and your loved ones celebrate in ways that you are accustomed to and have done for eons.  I’m pretty certain you would not consider watching the ball drop at midnight strange or absurd.  Well, maybe not to you.  Folks in other countries might find it utterly ridiculous.  I am also certain that you will find some of the weirdest new years traditions you ever heard of described down below.

As countries go, USA and Canada are very young compared to countries like Greece and Italy.  Their traditions are cloaked in history while ours are still trying to carve their place in the books.  Out with the old and in with the new is the mantra everywhere.  

Ringing in the new year is the last and first event of each calendar year.  Whether it’s a party for two or a feast for many. everyone looks forward with hope to what the new year will bring.  Trust me, just like all of you, I hope this coming new year will be better than the last few we have faced around the globe!  Funny, though, turn the page to a new year doesn’t magically make what happened just a few hours ago disappear.  However, it does bring hope and joy to imagine that it could.

7 Of The Weirdest New Years Traditions

Let the party begin!  Embrace your inner weirdo and come celebrate as they do in these countries around the world.  Who knows, you might just find an idea to start your very own weird new years tradition.

This post will take you on a journey around the world to see how other cultures celebrate the ringing of the new year.

Smashing Ceramics

For an entire year families in Denmark pile up old plates that they will no longer use.  The bigger the pile the more fun.  On New Year’s Eve, they gather these plates and smash them against the front door of friends and loved ones.  It is said that the bigger the pile of broken plates you find on your stoop on new years morning, the more luck you will have throughout the year.  While the tradition is waning with so many apartment dwellers, those in houses still do their best to keep it up.

Interesting concept but cleaning up broken shards of ceramic and china doesn’t feel so lucky to me.  However, count me in for the smashing part.

Animal Spirits

In Romania, it is believed that you can talk to your spirit animal on new years eve.  Folks dress in fur costumes and masks to connect with the animals.  And, they dance in the streets to ward off evil spirits from coming forward into the new year.  This makes for one heck of a new years eve outfit if I say so myself.

Under Where?

Perhaps this one is not so strange. I have known about some of it most of my adult life.  But, in Latin and South America they take this new years tradition to a new level.  They put on colored underwear according to what they wish for most to happen in the new year.

Red is for love.  Yellow is for wealth.  White is for peace.  Pink is for affection.  Black is for power.

Red was the one I was familiar with.  I had no idea about the other colors.  How about you?  Do you fancy one color each new years eve?

For Whom The Bell Rings

The Japanese Buddhists believe they need to toll the bells 108 times on new years eve.  One ring for each of the sins of man.  They will ring 107 times just before midnight and the 108th ring falls in the new year.  The last ring (or the first one – #108) brings in a new year full of hope and love.  All this to cleanse the sins of the prior year so the people start the new year fresh without the burdens of the old year.

Bon Fire

In Ecuador, paper scarecrows are created every new years eve representing popular figures like singers, politicians, or actors.  Close to midnight, the scarecrows are lit on fire.  Along with the scarecrows, pictures of bad events that happened throughout the year are also lit up.  This is all in an attempt to rid themselves of the bad omens of the previous year.

Not sure about you but being set on fire (even as a scarecrow) scares the living daylights out of me.  This is probably one of the weirdest new years traditions one could ever imagine.

A Glass of…Grapes

Eating 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight is a challenge the people of Spain love to partake in.  They take 12 single grapes which represent the 12 months of the year.  With each stroke of the clock as midnight rolls in, they must eat one grape.  Chewing would not be an option.  Although, you do need to bite down at least once before swallowing the grape in order to have good luck throughout the coming year.  The clock strikes are quite rapid.  Not sure if I could swallow one grape per second in order to have a fortuitous year ahead of me.  Having said that, you could wash it all down with a glass of bubbly.

Furniture Toss

Watch your head as you walk through the streets of Italy on new years eve.  Broken unwanted furniture is tossed out the window.  Well, sort of.  Italians will get rid of the old and bring in the new for the new year.  They will toss pillows and blankets from their windows and balconies all around the country.

I could think of better things to do with old pillows and blankets rather than toss them out the window.  There are shelters all over that would be happy to take them off your hands.  Although, tossing something out the window and not get in trouble for doing it might be fun.

In Summary

Just when you thought there couldn’t be any stranger ways to ring in the new year, you discovered some of the weirdest new years traditions from far-off places.  Which one did you think was the most bizarre of them all?

We would love to hear from you.  Do you have a peculiar tradition you would like to share with us?