Find out how these 6 countries celebrate New Year!
Right, 2020 is coming to an end already… Can you believe it?! What a year it has been, filled with lots of ups and downs but hey, we made it! However, the start of the year 2021 might not necessarily be the most extravagant or huge this year, but let’s make the most out of it. In this article, I will be showing you a couple of different New Year traditions around the world, how they celebrate the New Year, and when. Take some inspiration on how the other half of the world celebrates and incorporate that into your New Year this year!
6. Bring out your best-colored underwear this New Year
What are you hoping for this coming year? Are you wishing for love, maybe money? Whatever you are wishing for, wear your underwear based on the color of your wish this New Year. You think I’m making this up just for the giggles, right? First of all, who do you think I am? I would never! Jokes aside, everyone in South America is doing it. If you are wishing for love, wear red. For wealth and luck in the coming year, wear yellow. Or, if you simply want to have peace, wear white. Spice up your New Year’s this year with some colored underwear, because what else would you be doing.
5. Water fight!
In Thailand, their New Years’ is on the 13th of April and lasts until the 15th of April. How the Thai’s celebrate New Years’ is something I can definitely get behind on. I am about to tell you why. The Thai’s celebrate the New Year with a nationwide water fight called the water festival. Your inner child will be truly satisfied! Everyone gathers to the streets no matter what age with their water guns and colored powders and starts shooting at each other.
If you happen to be in Thailand during this time, make sure you aren’t driving because your car will most likely come out looking like a huge rainbow. I remember my dad used to love and dread this holiday at the same time because he loves to drive to places. He would get so annoyed by the fact that his car would just become this huge mess when coming home. I always thought it was funny, men and their obsessions with their cars is something I will never understand.
4. Throw things out your window
Out with the old and in with the new! In South Africa, they celebrate New Year’s by throwing old appliances out of their window symbolizing the rid of the old year and welcoming the new year. If you ever wanted to throw things out of the window but you’re scared to be labeled as this crazy person randomly throwing things out the window on New Years’, then I just gave you a perfectly good reason you could use to inform your neighbors in advance. Just in case they start calling the cops or something…
3. Talking cows in Iceland
In Iceland on New Years’ the cows start talking, seals turn into humans, the dead rise from their graves, and the elves start moving houses. Right, are you Icelanders okay up there on that island? Should we be concerned about this? Please, do let us know. This has to be one of the most interesting yet strangest new year traditions around the world I have come across so far. If you are feeling lonely this year, you could try talking to your local cows in your area. Also, beware maybe the person you see on New Years’ is actually a seal. Who knows, after the year 2020 anything could be possible.
2. Walk around with an empty suitcase
Do you miss traveling? Oh, don’t we all. To fulfill your urge to travel, walk around town with an empty suitcase while you pretend you’re about to travel somewhere. Fake it till you make it kids. On New Year’s Eve, it’s a tradition in Colombia to carry a suitcase around with them in hope that it will bring a travel-filled year. A year full of travels? Don’t mind if I do! Give it a shot and let us know by the end of the year 2021 whether the tradition worked or not.
1. Lunar New Year
The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the spring festival is probably one of the biggest and most important celebrations in China. The Lunar New Year is a 15-day long festival filled with many different traditions throughout the days. To celebrate like the Chinese, make sure you cover your house all in red this year as it symbolizes good luck and fortune for the upcoming year, getting rid of all the bad luck coming your way. In addition, on New Years’ parents give their children a red envelope filled with money. I wish my parents would do that for New Years’, maybe you could try your luck and see what they say. The idea of giving money to children in China is a way of transferring wealth from the elders to the youth, yes, please!
We hope you enjoyed some of these strange yet fun New Year Eve traditions from around the world that we shared with you! In case you are interested in spending New Years’ elsewhere this year, check out some of our New Year trips on JoinMyTrip.
If we have inspired you to start planning or joining unique trips for 2021 check out JoinMyTrip to share the costs and experiences with other like-minded travelers around the world!
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