How do you ring in the New Year?

​How do you ring in the New Year?

By Magdalena Dworzyńska

Multiple Choice

When was the first New Years Eve celebrated?

• 1590

• 1387

• 2000 B.C.

• 908

Multiple Choice

What is considered a good luck food to eat on New Years Eve?

• turkey

• cabbage

• Champagne

• black eyed peas

Fill in the Blanks

Spain - Eat 12 Grapes at Midnight

In Spain, it is believed that if you eat one grape in time with each chime of the clock at midnight, then you will be rewarded with luck and happiness in the coming year. 

Poll

It is a tradition for Colombian residents to walk around the block on New Year's Eve with an empty suitcase. 

• yes

• no

In a hope for a year filled with travel and adventure, it is a tradition for Colombian residents
to walk around the block on New Year's Eve with an empty suitcase. 

​

Carrying Empty Suitcases, Colombia

Multiple Choice

You have to collectively ... at midnight to ‘leap’ into January in hopes of good luck.

• stand on chairs and jump off them

• sit on chairs

• pull sb's chair and jump

• throw chairs and jump over them

To celebrate New Year’s Eve you start by throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of their family and friends to banish bad spirits. They collectively stand on chairs and jump off them at midnight to ‘leap’ into Jan in hopes of good luck.

Smashing Plates and Jumping off Chairs, Denmark

Poll

In Finland people are able to predict the coming year
by casting molten tin into a container of water

• true

• false

the shape the metal takes after it hardens:  a heart or a ring means a wedding, while the shape of a ship predicts travel. It is also believed that if you see the shape of a pig then you will have a year filled with plenty of food

people are able to predict the coming year by casting molten tin into a container of water and then interpreting

Multiple Choice

The effigies in Panama are meant to represent the

• bad luck

• your enemy

• old year

• new year

It's tradition for people in Panama to drive off evil spirits by burning effigies (muñecos) of well-known people such as TV characters and political figures in Panama. The effigies are meant to represent the old year, therefore allowing people to start with a fresh New Year’s start. 

Multiple Choice

It is tradition for residents in Johannesburg to party hard by

• trashing places

• fighting with people

• drinking a lot

• throwing old appliances and equipment out of the window

In New Year's Eve residents in Johannesburg party hard by throwing old appliances and equipment out of the window literally representing the adage ‘out with the old and in with the new.’ 

Poll

You’ll find a variety of round shapes all over the Philippines to symbolise prosperity in the coming year

• yes

• no

On New Year’s Eve, you’ll find a variety of round shapes all over the Philippines, representing coins, they are said to symbolise prosperity in the coming year. From wearing polka dots for luck, to displaying piles of rounded fruit on their dining tables, it’s almost impossible to escape them!

In Brazil, as well as other Central and South America countries like Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela, it is thought to be lucky to wear special underwear on New Year’s Eve. The most popular colour to wear is red, thought to bring love in the New Year, while wearing yellow is believed to bring people money. 

Multiple Choice

It is traditional to hang ??? on the front door of your home on New Year’s Eve as a symbol of rebirth in the New Year

• a garlic

• an apple

• an orange

• an onion

In Greece, it is traditional to hang an onion on the front door of your home on New Year’s Eve as a symbol of of rebirth in the New Year. To commemorate New Year’s Day, parents then wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion. 

Multiple Choice

Traditionally, on New Year’s Day, Estonians try to eat ??? times throughout the day

• three, six or nine

• six, seven or twelve

• seven, nine or twelve

• seven or twelve

Traditionally, on New Year’s Day, Estonians try to eat seven, nine or twelve times throughout the day, as these are all lucky numbers. It is believed that the more they eat, the more plentiful food will be coming in the year. 

Multiple Choice

turn over a new leaf means

• change a place of living

• to make a fresh start or change your behaviour

• forget about the past

• quit fighting

Open Ended

a clean slate is a new start that clears all past mistakes and failures

Multiple Choice

Scotland: The wait for the 1st visitor after midnight on New Years eve (Hogmanay) is called...

• Feet

• First-Footing

• Tresholding

• Hogmanay

Multiple Choice

A U.S. tradition on New Years is?

• cruising on a ship in Florida

• looking at nature at Yosemite

• watching the Ball Drop in NYC

• walking on the strip in Vegas

Poll

Which country calls their New Year festival Shogatsu?

• China

• Japan

• India

• Scotland

Japan calls their New Year festival Shogatsu

Multiple Choice

Who started New Years?

• Asians

• Egyptians

• Mexicans

• Americans

Happy New Year