Overview
- The Mirror republished My Baggage’s curated list on Dec. 30–31, detailing eight distinctive customs observed at year’s end.
- In Ecuador, ‘año viejo’ burnings torch straw effigies and photos at midnight to purge the past, while Japan’s Joya no Kane rings temple bells 108 times to cleanse human sins.
- Danes hurl saved plates at friends’ doorsteps as a sign of love and good fortune, with bigger piles of shards seen as popularity and protection from evil.
- Parts of Italy mark renewal by throwing out old belongings—now typically small or soft items for safety—whereas Argentines shred outdated papers and toss the confetti from windows around midday on Dec. 31.
- Prosperity rites include the Philippines’ focus on circles and 12 round fruits, Latin America’s tradition of wearing new underwear in colors tied to specific desires, and Romania’s livestock-talking and bear dances for good luck.