After a hectic year, people gather around lighted trees, eat delicious food, play games, and relax on Christmas. But just as the Christmas celebrations end, another exciting event is about to start: New Year’s Eve! People around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve in various ways. If you are an expat, you will experience the different traditions of each country. However, wherever you are, the New Year’s celebrations are designed to bring good luck and fortune in the year ahead.
Let’s explore more about the unique New Year celebrations around the world.
New Year’s Eve in the UK
In the UK, just before New Year’s Eve, people hold hands and sing a traditional song “Aud Lang Syne”. They count down the seconds and as the clock hits midnight, people hug, kiss, and wish Happy New Year to each other. In the UK, New Year Traditions around the world seem more formal. One of the most famous and superstitious celebrations takes place in Scotland. They believe that after midnight the first enter the home is considered to bring good fortune for the year. This is a centuries-old custom called first footing.
They may also bring small gifts like coal, whisky, salt, or shortbread. Each symbolizes warmth, joy, and wealth. In England, at midnight, people gather to listen to the chimes of Big Ben. London’s great fireworks display sites, with the tone of the grand tower clock. A large number of people, on New Year’s Eve around the world, gather there to see the lightning up the River Thames. All these scenarios create long-lasting memories for everyone.
In the UK, people love to eat a roast dinner on New Year’s Eve. In Scotland, they eat neeps and tatties, commonly called turnips and potatoes. People often eat mince pies for dessert, and no party is complete without a glass of champagne to toast the new year. You can also expect to raise a glass of whisky if you’re in Scotland.
Seems fun right? Let’s explore another country to know more about New Year celebrations around the world.
Celebrating New Year’s Eve Around the World—Australia
In Australia, New Year’s Eve is in the middle of summer. Because of this, people all over the world celebrate in unique ways that are great for the warm weather. One of the biggest New Year’s events takes place in Sydney Harbor. In 2024, Harbour City announced one of its biggest celebrations. They have planned to launch for the very first time, pyrotechnics from both the western and eastern sides of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
If you want to enjoy unique New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world, it is important to plan ahead a tour to Sydney. Here people enjoy family-friendly celebrations, outdoor concerts, fireworks, music, and festivals in the parks and beaches. On the New Year, people love to enjoy barbecue.
On the grill, you can find crabs, steaks, sausages, and fresh salads. For dessert, there will be a pavlova, a light and sweet pastry treat with fresh fruit on top. For toasts, people like champagne and wine, but when it’s warm outside, everyone likes a cold beer. Because of the hot weather, water parties are another popular way to enjoy New Year’s Eve.
Germany’s New Year Celebrations
Silvester (or New Year’s Eve) in Germany is celebrated with full excitement and a mix of unique traditions. Germans practice Bleigießen to predict the future for the New Year. In this activity, people melt lead to make shapes in cold water. They believe that these shapes represent their future and this age-old custom is a source of fun, spending time with family and children.
Germans love to set off their own fireworks to celebrate, so the air is full of light and sound at midnight. Huge public parties are held in Berlin, where you can party with thousands of other people. You can buy fireworks almost anywhere in Germany before Easter, from grocery stores to highway stands. But officially, you can only buy them from Dec. 28–30 and light them from Dec. 31–Jan. 1.
Germans’ popular food on New Year’s Eve around the world is Berliner (doughnut) which is filled with jam with no central whole. Their traditional meal is cotechino (a pork sausage) served with lentils. They believe that it brings fortune and wealth for the coming year. Germans toast the new year with Sekt (wine) which gives the feeling of elegance to the festivities. Moreover, they welcome the early morning of January 1 with music, dance, and drinks to make memorable New Year celebrations around the world.
Italy Celebrating New Year Traditions for Good Luck
In Italy, New Year’s Eve (La Festa di San Silvestro) is celebrated with varying traditions from region to region. Their celebrations are all about good food, family, and fortune for the new year. Italians eat lentils to bring good luck and prosperity because they resemble coins. In Italy, the light-up sky with fireworks is also known as “I botti”. Italians in towns and around the country show off their very best lights to make their New Year’s Eve celebration more enjoyable.
Another New Year’s Eve tradition in Italy is wearing red clothes(undergarments). They believe the clothes of red color bring good luck and Italians of all ages, men, women, and children put on crimson underwear. They ensure wearing it on December 31 to welcome the New Year for a happy and healthy life.
Italians toast their New Year’s morning with bubbly (champagne). Their most popular tradition is eating 12 grapes at midnight on New Year’s Eve. 12 grapes represent luck for each month of the year. Italian old saying is “Chi mangia l’uva per Capodanno conta i quattrini tutto l’anno,” which translates to “he who eats grapes for New Year counts money all year round. Italy’s celebrations of New Year’s Eve around the world are more interesting.
New Year’s Eve in Brazil
Have you ever heard the phrase “Ano novo, vida nova” in Portuguese? It means “A new year, a new life!” The Brazilian Reveillon (New Year’s Eve party), is thought to be one of the best celebrations of New Year’s Eve Around the World. In Rio de Janeiro, there is the biggest fireworks show in the world. It’s also the middle of summer, so people can spend a week relaxing in the sun on the beautiful beaches of Brazil.
Brazilians for good luck, keep the folha de louro (bay leaf) in their pockets and it is also believed that the Priest’s leaf sharpens one’s intuition. They were white dresses from head to toe, this tradition is adopted from the Afro-Brazilian tradition. In Candomble and Umbanda, people believe that the white color represents peace, renewal, and purity.
Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia offer white flowers, hair combs, soaps, necklaces, and other small trinkets to Yemanja. Yemanja is the Candomble and Umbanda goddess of the sea. They place these things in a small boat and leave it at the sea. In return for their offerings, they hope to get good luck and protection for the year ahead.
In Brazil, people eat pomegranates and lentils on New Year’s Eve. The way of eating pomegranates highly matters. They only eat the flush and leave the seeds. Brazilians believe that if they save seven seeds in their wallet until January 6 it will attract wealth for the whole year. Lentilha da sorte, a stew of lentils, veggies, and pork sausage, is a particular favorite.
Conclusion
No matter where you are, the celebrations of New Year’s Eve around the world are meant to bring good luck, prosperity, a bright future, and excitement in the year ahead. Each country and culture has its unique traditions and beliefs about the new year. Many countries have New Year traditions for good luck, like eating lentils, and pomegranates, and wearing red in Italy, and white in Brazil. Whether you are celebrating the New Year 2025 with family, friends, or alone abroad, Remit Choice wishes you a very happy New Year ahead!
