We are amongst the first countries in the World to
celebrate New Year. Gisborne on our East
coast is the first city in the world to see in the New Year. When our year starts, most of the rest of the
world is still living the previous day.
Time zones can do your head in a bit!
To celebrate the New Year I have researched a bit on
the different ways that New Year is celebrated around the world.
Many countries celebrate with fireworks – beautiful to
watch but you do have to wonder about the sense of all that money going up in
smoke and polluting the air – not to speak of the fire risk… and all those
frightened pets….
But I digress:
Mexicans apparently celebrate by eating a grape with
each of the 12 chimes of the bell at midnight.
In New York there is the traditional ball drop in Times
Square.
In Denmark they have a special meal which finishes with
Kransekage – a special dessert and with champagne.
Greeks do the final countdown in the dark and then open
their eyes to the new light.
Italians, or some of them, wear red underwear at New
Year!
A Portuguese tradition is to drink champagne and eat 12
raisins – one for each month of the year.
Scots have a first-footing tradition – the first person
to come into a house in the New Year – a tall dark man is thought to be lucky.
Sydney has a spectacular fireworks display.
All great traditions! You will be ringing in the New Year much before me and I hope it is a great one!
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