The holidays and traditions of different people and communities around the world tell fascinating stories about their way of being and thinking. In particular, how the new year is celebrated in a country tells us a lot about the cultural heritage of its people. And the best way to learn more about these intriguing traditions is to visit these places and witness them firsthand.
Whether you are organizing your next winter vacation to escape somewhere warm, or if you want to experience a new way to celebrate New Year’s Eve (possibly even on a different date!), an exciting destination awaits. Get inspired by these New Year’s traditions from around the world and take notes for your next winter getaway.
How the New Year is celebrated in other countries around the world
Réveillon in Brazil
In Brazil, New Year's Eve (also known as Réveillon, which means "party") comes alive at the beach. In addition to music, food, and fireworks, tradition dictates that for good luck you must jump over seven waves, each wave representing a possible obstacle in the coming year. Another tradition is to wear white from head to toe. Thinking about heading to Brazil for your next winter vacation? Iberostar resorts are located on some of the country's most spectacular coastlines, such as Praia do Forte, Bahia, and Manaus. Experience the perfect mix of relaxation and tradition to ring in the year to come.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year is observed in early September and celebrates the creation of the world. The day begins with prayer and offerings, continues with meditation, and ends with family around a table filled with traditional food.
In Greece, where there is a strong Jewish heritage, there are many who celebrate this New Year’s tradition, observing the Hebrew calendar instead of the Gregorian or European calendar. Iberostar Creta Marine and Iberostar Creta Panorama & Mare are idyllic settings to see how Rosh Hashanah is celebrated and bid farewell to summer on a private beach with turquoise waters.
Aymara New Year
Aymara means "return of the sun". The Aymara New Year is linked to the harvests and the solstice; the beginning of a new solar cycle. Also known as Andean, Amazonian, or Chaco New Year, it takes place on June 21 and is mainly celebrated in present-day Bolivia, but also in some territories of Argentina, Chile, and Peru. According to the custom of the native peoples, hands should be opened towards the sun at the moment of dawn to consecrate its power.
At the Iberostar Selection Miraflores hotel you can get a closer look at how this ritual is observed in Peru. Located in the neighborhood of Miraflores, right in the heart of Lima, the city’s heartbeat can be felt on an impressive rooftop terrace with a pool and lounge bar overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Let yourself be enveloped by the energy of the sun and toast to life from the heights.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year is commemorated with the second new moon after the winter solstice, so while the exact date changes from one year to the next, it is always celebrated between January 21 and February 20. Today it has become a global festival, with aspects of Chinese culture like its parades, music, dances, and traditional food opened up to the rest of the world. If a trip to China isn’t possible, why not celebrate in New York’s Chinatown neighborhood?
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year marks the first day of the lunar calendar. While it coincides with the Chinese New Year, it is also celebrated by many other cultures. From India to Japan, Bali, and Korea, the traditions are many and varied, although they generally have to do with leaving behind what is old or no longer useful, and looking forward to the coming year with gratitude. Lights, flowers, traditional costumes, amulets, rituals, legends, gatherings with family and friends, and artistic performances are a staple of the festivities, no matter where it is celebrated.
Where the New Year is celebrated first
If we follow the Gregorian calendar (the calendar followed in the US), the first New Year's Eve is celebrated In Kiribati on the island of Kirimati. Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean between Honolulu and San Francisco, the clock strikes midnight roughly seventeen hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) and twenty hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST).
In addition to this fact, the island, also called Christmas Island, is known for its coral reserves: its geography is part of a group of thirty-three coral atolls unique in the world. Picture being among the first in the world to ring in the new year here, then continuing to the Caribbean to discover another of the most important coral areas on the planet. The Iberostar Waves Cozumel hotel off the Mexican coast is located near the second-largest coral reef in the Americas. For exciting travel plans over the winter vacation, the possibilities are endless. Create new New Year’s traditions and special memories you will treasure forever.
Unique New Year's traditions around the world
While society continues to evolve, some things never change: the joy of celebrating New Year’s Eve, and the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to reinvent oneself. Today, many families and groups of friends have the tradition of celebrating the start of the coming year by traveling around their own countries or abroad, a popular nearby destination being Mexico to discover new and interesting festive traditions. But what did people do before these times? Here are a few unique New Year traditions from around the world that persist to this day.
The twelve grapes
In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, the twelve grapes are perhaps the most widespread New Year’s Eve tradition. It consists of eating the twelve lucky grapes with the twelve chimes at midnight, each one representing one of the coming months. But where does this practice come from?
Dating back to 1894 and first recorded in 1909, the most likely origin is the story of a surplus grape harvest in Alicante, Spain. Local merchants devised a rite to help sell them, and it has been a tradition practiced ever since. A later addition to the custom is to perform the twelve grapes in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, next to the clock of the Casa de Correos.
The twelve grapes tradition is also celebrated in summer in Granada, Spain. The town began eating grapes the first weekend of August in 1994, after suffering a blackout at the end of the year that prevented them from doing so with the chimes of December 31.
A swim in the sea
In the Canary Islands, New Year's Eve is synonymous with swimming in the sea. Hundreds of people flock to the beaches of Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura to welcome the coming year, renewing their energy with a dip in the salt water. Enjoying beautiful warm weather even in December, the Iberostar Selection Fuerteventura Palace hotel is the perfect place to take part in this new year’s tradition.
Pockets full of cash
In Portugal, the belief is that you should have money on you when the clock strikes midnight to bring about wealth for the coming year. They say that if your pockets are empty, they will remain empty for the rest of the year. This tradition often varies with some holding the money in their hands, storing it away in a wallet, or even stuffing it into shoes. Why not visit the Portuguese capital with a stay at Iberostar Selection Lisboa and see for yourself? Just make sure to pay a visit to the ATM first.
Eating lentils like the Roman Emperors
In ancient Rome, it was believed that eating lentils on New Year's Eve brought good luck and in many parts of the world, lentils still play an important role in celebrating the new year. In Mexico, leaving a bag of lentils outside your door, eating lentils around midnight, or filling your pockets or bags with dry lentils are all practices related to this tradition. Want to experience unique new year’s traditions around the world? Stay in Iberostar resort in Mexico and begin your discovery from there.
Starting the year on the right foot
In Greece, one new year’s tradition is Kalo Podariko, or “Good Footing”, where just before midnight on the 31st of December, households will turn off all lights and stand outside. One person who is thought to be especially good or lucky is chosen to reenter the house with their right foot first before the rest of the household follows. This ritual is meant to bring the whole family luck for the year to come.
A toast infused with gold
A toast with champagne or sparkling wine at midnight is a staple in many Western new year’s celebrations. However, in Spain, raising a glass offers another opportunity to call forth wealth and good fortune. The tradition here is to drop a gold object like a ring (or failing that, a coin) into your glass before drinking to be blessed with a year of prosperity.
Chocolate with churros at dawn
At the end of the party, there’s nothing like savoring a hot chocolate with churros. This is what you can expect to do after a night of fun if you celebrate the new year in Madrid, and also in parts of Castilla y León and La Mancha.
Whether it’s eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight in Spain or jumping over seven waves in Brazil, experiencing different traditions around the world is one of the many reasons to book a trip somewhere new this winter. Where will you go next?
