New Year's Eve around the World
December 29th 2007 22:35
How are you celebrating New Years? Who cares, the question is, how is everybody else celebrating New Years, and why?
If you'd care to step into the time machine with me, we'll go back to the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians for who New Year's was determined by the harvest. The Sumerians lived it up for a few days then went to plant their crops while the Egyptians celebrated the flooding of the Nile in September because this meant there would be fertile silt for plant the new crops in.
Stepping out of the time machine and back into our world, we have New Year's Eve as a mark for the last day of the year on the Gregorian calendar which we all abide by. (If anyone mentions Chinese New Year, I will see to it that they don't live to see the next one). We secular, technological people send pretty shinny things into the sky that sparkle and dazzle us to show the happiness we're feeling inside. Yes, sensational for us, but what else is done across the globe to celebrate the dawning of another year?
My sources well me that our Mexican counter parts decorate each other with 12 elaborate necklaces and make a wish upon each one.
In Greece it seems that bread is baked with a lucky charm inside. This is eaten at midnight and whoever receives the piece of bread with the charm will have good luck for the whole year. I would feel incredibly guilty doing this and so my bread would surely contain more charms than flour just to save my conscious.
Moving right along we obviously have to make a stop in the US where Time's Square has what I like to think of as a large disco ball that drops to signal the last moments of the fading year. The only potential problem I can see with this would be people getting over excited, counting too quickly and starting the New Year a few seconds prematurely but hey, what's a few seconds, really?
Certainly there are many, many more traditions that accompany this time of year but if you think I'm going to find out about all of them and blog about them, you have another thing coming. I do think, however, that it is fairly safe to say that new year' ever is about celebration and high hopes. So exchange gifts, make a wish, dream big, just don't throw up on my shoes- it's not my fault if you can't hold your liquor.
If you'd care to step into the time machine with me, we'll go back to the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians for who New Year's was determined by the harvest. The Sumerians lived it up for a few days then went to plant their crops while the Egyptians celebrated the flooding of the Nile in September because this meant there would be fertile silt for plant the new crops in.
Stepping out of the time machine and back into our world, we have New Year's Eve as a mark for the last day of the year on the Gregorian calendar which we all abide by. (If anyone mentions Chinese New Year, I will see to it that they don't live to see the next one). We secular, technological people send pretty shinny things into the sky that sparkle and dazzle us to show the happiness we're feeling inside. Yes, sensational for us, but what else is done across the globe to celebrate the dawning of another year?
My sources well me that our Mexican counter parts decorate each other with 12 elaborate necklaces and make a wish upon each one.
In Greece it seems that bread is baked with a lucky charm inside. This is eaten at midnight and whoever receives the piece of bread with the charm will have good luck for the whole year. I would feel incredibly guilty doing this and so my bread would surely contain more charms than flour just to save my conscious.
Moving right along we obviously have to make a stop in the US where Time's Square has what I like to think of as a large disco ball that drops to signal the last moments of the fading year. The only potential problem I can see with this would be people getting over excited, counting too quickly and starting the New Year a few seconds prematurely but hey, what's a few seconds, really?
Certainly there are many, many more traditions that accompany this time of year but if you think I'm going to find out about all of them and blog about them, you have another thing coming. I do think, however, that it is fairly safe to say that new year' ever is about celebration and high hopes. So exchange gifts, make a wish, dream big, just don't throw up on my shoes- it's not my fault if you can't hold your liquor.
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Comment by Garrett Mickley
Garrett's Absolution
Digital Product Reviews
Maybe it is the greeks.
I don't know, either way, I have one =)
I also heard that on new years day, and ONLY new years day, if you put a small piece of cabbage in your wallet and keep it there all year, you'll have success in everything you do.
I've never done it before, I just heard it, but I'll be doing it and playing the lottery on wednesday, that's for sure.
Comment by Mrs M
Mum's Word
I come from a Greek family and you got it right with the bread. The trick however is to put the charm on the bottom of the bread so when you picked up your piece you can see if you've got it. I was at a party once when the charm was somewhere in the middle and the "lucky" person almost choked. Not good way to start the year.
Love & stuff
Mrs M
Comment by Wynona Lavota
Generation Y Life