Whether you’re wanting to end the year off on a bang or start the next one steady, there’s a New Year Tradition for you. This article will highlight some fun and some rather bizarre New Year Traditions around the world. Of course, YOLO Travel can assist in finding luxury stays nearby for you to get the most authentic experience possible.
In the meantime, work on your New Year’s resolutions for a healthier you.
New Year Traditions in France
“Let them eat cake!”, as Marie Antoinette boldly exclaimed, rings somewhat true in a culinary sense to France’s New Year Traditions today. From Paris to Montpellier and Mont Saint Michel, a celebration of food, culture, and fun can be found in every corner. In Paris, enjoy Champagne at the Eiffel Tower, dinner at a Michelin Star Restaurant, and fireworks over the Arc de Triomphe. In Montpellier, party with the locals in the Old Town, eat dinner at a local restaurant, or watch street performances and fireworks in Place de la Comédie. Explore Mont Saint Michel starting along the bay, strolling through the village, and into the Abbey where you can climb to the top for spectacular panoramic views of the island and afar.
New Year Traditions in Spain
As a New Year Tradition, grapes are often thought of as a garnish for a fancy cocktail. But, in Spain and later spread to other parts of Latin America, 12 grapes are eaten in succession as the minutes tick down to midnight. Tradition has it that should you finish all 12 grapes by the time the clock strikes midnight, your next year is sure to welcome prosperity and good luck. To make this a shared New Year Tradition, you can join the locals in the central square or other iconic place that has a large clock while you all count down the last 12 minutes of the year. With grapes…
New Year Traditions in Greece
Greece has a slightly different New Year tradition. Agios Vasilis, or Saint Basil, is celebrated on January 1st and takes on the role of Santa Claus. So, families would exchange their gifts on January 1st rather than December 25th. This New Year Tradition can be seen as starting the year in the spirit of giving and gratitude. At the family dinner at midnight or on New Year’s Day, Vasilopita (Saint Basil’s Cake) is cut and shared. Each slice is traditionally dedicated to someone or an entity. But hidden in one of the slices is a coin. Whoever finds this coin is said to have good luck for the rest of the year.
New Year Traditions in Italy
The Italian New Year, Capodanno, is sprinkled with age-old tradition, some superstition, and lots of fun. When walking the streets in parts of southern Italy, it would be wise to watch out for objects flying out of the windows above you. Why? To symbolise “letting go” of the lows of the past year, objects like old pots, pans, clothes, and even furniture are thrown out the windows to fully prepare for the future. This tradition isn’t as widely practiced anymore (for obvious health and safety reasons), but here and there you may see a few random objects lining the old city streets. Another Italian New Year Tradition, but one you may not notice so easily, is wearing red underwear on New Year’s Eve to bring love, luck, and fertility into the next year. This might help explain the plethora of red undergarments adorning shop windows.
Welcoming New Year Traditions
New Year Traditions are meant to mark new beginnings and let go of the past. Although we all make our own meanings of that, there are some New Year Traditions that have survived centuries. Eating grapes, throwing furniture out the windows, or grand dinner with the family, these New Year Traditions are worth experiencing in person and will surely win you a few points with the locals!
Speak to one of the expert Travel curators at YOLO Travel to plan your trip to welcome the New Year!