Global New Year Traditions Highlight Unique Ways to Welcome 2025
From eating symbolic foods to performing cultural rituals, people worldwide embrace diverse customs to bring luck, prosperity, and joy in the new year.
- In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, eating 12 grapes at midnight is believed to bring good luck for each month of the new year.
- Colombians walk around with empty suitcases to symbolize a wish for travel and adventure in the coming year.
- Traditions in Greece include hanging onions on doors to promote personal growth and smashing pomegranates to invite prosperity.
- Many cultures associate specific foods with good fortune, such as black-eyed peas in the Southern U.S., lentils in Italy, and round fruits in the Philippines.
- Unique rituals like Japan's 108 bell tolls, Ecuador's effigy burning, and Romania's bear dances reflect a mix of spiritual, cultural, and symbolic practices.
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