New year parties and fireworks displays may be a normal tradition in welcoming an upcoming year, but in some cultures, they also mix some little superstition practices before the clock strikes twelve to make sure the next year will bring strokes of good luck and tremendous fortune.
Feng Shui practices are one of the most popular, but there are also some others that are so bizarre. Still, people follow them anyway. Here are some of the strangest New Year customs:
Eating Grapes At Midnight. In Spain, especially in Madrid and Barcelona, people congregate at their local town square to eat 12 grapes at midnight. Each grape signifies each month of the year, and if you eat all 12 of them, then good luck will follow you every month. It's a quirky Spanish tradition, and actually quite fun, because people eat their grapes together while passing around bottles of cava.
No Cleaning On New Year. The day before and during the 1st day of New Year, it's a common tradition of Filipinos to not clean and sweep their homes or else all good fortune coming in will be swept away. This culture dates back to the Filipinos' Chinese roots, and aside from the no sweeping, all kids until the age of 18 are encouraged to jump when the clock strikes 12 so that they could get taller in the coming year!
Smash Plates For Stronger Friendships. In the morning after the New Year celebration, it's a common sight in Denmark to see people cleaning up broken pieces of glass and china in their front porch. This is because the Danish believe that if you throw a cup or a plate at your friend's door, it means that your friendship will be stronger in the New Year.
Food For Luck. When midnight rolls in, the Germans consume a pig-shaped marzipan; the Dutch eat giant balls of greased up dough called "oliebollen"; and people in Chile eat spoonfuls of lentils. All these, they do to bring in wealth and fortify their luck in the new year.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
