Craziest New Year’s Eve Traditions from Around The World

New Year’s Eve is one of the most celebrated events. With the huge variety of cultures the world has to offer, it is inevitable for the celebrations to differ from one society to the other. Here are some of the craziest New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world. 1.Spain It’s all about the grapes when you’re Spanish. When the clock strikes midnight, the residents of the country put one grape at a time in their mouths in sync with the chimes of the clock. If you can fit the right number of grapes in your mouth, you are looking at a year of prosperity and good luck. Some Spaniards even practice their grape-eating abilities before December 31^st in order to increase their chances of welcoming the new year with a joyous start. 2.Scotland During the first minutes of the new year, Scottish folks await a young fellow to knock on their door. Holding a bottle of whiskey, a loaf of raisin bread, and a piece of black coal, if you let him in, you should expect good luck throughout your upcoming year. 3.Ecuador What makes Ecuador’s New Year’s Eve pop out is “los años viejos,” a ceremony in the which the people light paper-filled scarecrow-like dolls on fire at midnight. They usually make them look like people they dislike. It is meant to be a method to forget the past’s bad fortune and focus on the future. 4.Czech Republic The people of Czech rely on an apple to determine whether their new year will be satisfying or not. They cut the fruit in half and check the shape of its core. If it’s a cross, bad luck is coming their way. If it’s a star, they should expect good luck. 5.Japan Besides visiting a shrine where Hastumode, a ceremony which includes food stands and prayers, takes place, the Japanese also practice a ritual called Kagami Biraki. It consists of breaking and eating Mochi, a Japanese rice cake, to affirm a positive new year. However, it is known to have choked people to death! 6.Italy Aside from the tradition that dictates Italians to eat pig’s feet and lentils for a satisfying financial state, Italians agree that they should wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve. Matter of fact, stores stack up on red underwear right after Christmas to serve customers. 7.Brazil Similarly to Italians, Brazilians also kick-start their new year with an underwear. In Brazil, you are supposed to buy a new white underwear and wear it the night of the 31^st. This is meant to give you a pure and innocent start. Do you have any weird New Year’s Eve habits? Share them with us!