New Year’s Eve is a wonderful time for celebrating the bygone year and welcoming what lies ahead. You will be intrigued to learn about the myriad New Year’s Eve traditions across the globe that are unique and exciting in their own ways. Here is a look-see into some interesting NYE celebrations across the continents of the world.
Australia
The New Year’s Eve celebrations in Australia happen right in the middle of summer. The weather is nice and warm, perfect for an evening with outdoor entertainment like fireworks. In the country, the most famous NYE celebrations happen in Sydney. For a fabulous experience, you can hop aboard a New Years cruise on Sydney Harbour that offers a delicious deluxe dinner with drinks and entertainment, combining it with the stunning views of the fireworks and the dazzling Sydney skyline. Sydneysiders also like to spend quality time with their families in Darling Harbour, where a myriad of festivities for people of all ages would be up and running!
Europe
Did you know the Danish people shatter unused plates and dishes on the New Year’s Eve to bring good luck? It is also customary for them to climb on top of chairs and jump off at midnight to welcome the new year. If you’re a foodie, the best European NYE destination for you is Estonia, where people eat nine to twelve meals on the last day of the year with the goal of having prosperity in the next 365 days. Coming to Ireland, they follow a tradition where they throw bread at the walls to ward off any evil spirits. Then they enjoy a special dinner to commemorate their family and friends who are no more. Also, do look up Germany, Scotland and Spain for more interesting NYE traditions.
Africa
Ethiopia, known as the Horn of Africa, is one of the only countries in the world to have a 13th month on their calendar. Interestingly, they welcome the new year on September 11th with grand festivities. Although not heavily in practice today, South Africans throw out their old furniture into the street as a symbol of leaving behind everything that’s old. Today, these traditions have been replaced with great firework displays and night-parties. If you’re someone who feels celebrations end too soon, travel to Zimbabwe! New Year’s Eve in this country extends up to three days with exciting entertainment everywhere. Similarly the Senegalese New Year’s celebrations is marked by the Le Fanal Festival and takes place for around 10 days.
Asia
Filipinos’ New Year’s Eve celebrations are loud—with plenty of noise with horns, yelling, music, blowing whistles, clanging pans and pots and lighting firecrackers to ward off any evil spirits. When you come to Thailand, they have a custom of throwing pails of water as in South American countries. Their New Year’s Eve traditions also include smearing gray talc on each other during Songkran, symbolising purgation of all your wrongdoings with the water washing away the talc. They also play games and eat traditional foods and spend time with family. Although the Chinese New Year does not happen on December 31st, their celebrations(occurring between late January and the third week of February) consist of parades of dancing lions and dragons weaving through crowded streets. In South Korea, people welcome the New Year by watching the first sunrise of the year and making a wish. Some of the seaside towns even hold “sunrise festivals”, where people write down their dreams and put them in a lantern which is then released into the sky.
From the famous New Year's Eve dinner cruises in Sydney to the Sunrise festival in South Korea, you have plenty of options to celebrate NYE 2022 with your friends.
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