New Years celebrations around the World

Submitted by aathura on Mon, 2007-01-01 13:54. Other

New Years (end of the previous year and beginning of the New Year) is the most widely celebrated holiday in the World. Most of the New Year celebrations focus on family and friends. New Year's Day is the time for celebrations and parties all over the world. As soon as the clock ticks 12'O' Clock on last day of the year, New Year comes packed with all fun and excitement.

New Year's Day is an event to celebrate and forget the worries of the old year. It's the time to take new resolutions and look for new inspirations and motivations, to achieve what remained unachieved in the passed year. In fact, setting new goals and making new resolutions are what New Year is all about. New Year Celebrations vary in different parts of the world, as it's significantly influenced by local culture of that particular region

India: New Year celebration on January 1st is a relatively new phenomenon here. The festival of lights or Deepavali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. In the south, New Year is mostly celebrated on April 14th, i.e. the onset of the harvest season. Most of the people pay a visit to the religious worship place on new years to start the year with prayers. Parties’ extending into the New Year is another celebration here.

America: In New York City, the world famous 1,070-pound, 6-foot-diameter Waterford crystal ball (Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland, by the company Waterford Wedgwood plc) located high above Times Square is lowered starting at 11:59:00 p.m., or the last minute of the year, and reaches the bottom of its tower at the stroke of midnight. The Ball is six feet in diameter, and weighs around 1,070 pounds. It is covered with 504 Waterford crystal triangles in different sizes. Another American tradition is the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Tournament of Roses parade that precedes the football game on New Year's Day is made up of elaborate and inventive floats. Another American tradition is the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Tournament of Roses parade that precedes the football game on New Year's Day is made up of elaborate and inventive floats.

Austria: The New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic on New Year's Day has been a tradition for many years. Great performance returns to the legendary Austrian music capital to continue its internationally beloved New Year's Day concert broadcasts from Vienna's magnificent Musikverein.

Australia: Sydney is the first large City to enter the New Year. They have been said to have the most spectacular fireworks in the world. Late night parties with friends and family along with the hottest rock bands performing on Melbourne beaches. The Chinese-Australia community holds Chinese rituals like sacrificing to the ancestors are followed with jest and enthusiasm.

Brazil: Copacabana, the famous beach in Rio de Janeiro becomes on New Years Eve, the largest party in the world. 2.5 million people gather at the beach to celebrate the New Year. The party goes on all night with hundreds of shows and events along the beach.

England: Party and Parade are the two things that come in to mind when thinking of New Year in London. Trafalgar Square is considered as the hub of New Year celebrations in London. A spectacular fireworks display fired from the British Airways London Eye will once again mark midnight on New Year's Eve. Over 200,000 celebrated the start of 2007 in central London. Following the chimes of Big Ben at midnight, a ten-minute display, organized by the Mayor of London is fired from the London Eye and from the river.

Scotland: Come 31st December and Scotland is all ready to celebrate "Hogmanay", the other name for New Year in Scotland. Known, as Scotland's biggest and noisiest event, Hogmanay is celebrated with full jest and enthusiasm in Edinburgh. One of the most spectacular customs that can be seen during New Year in Scotland is the swinging of giant fireballs on long metal poles. Other popular tradition that is being practiced by many in Scotland during New Year is the ritual of "First footing"

Japan: New Years Eve, temples ring in 108 bells (The watch night bell). This symbolizes the removal of 108 worldly desires regarding sense, feeling and time in every person. Morning is welcomed by drinking three mouthfuls spiced Japanese sake in traditional ceramic cups. Rice cake in soup called Zouni, which has many vegetables, is a delicacy. Japanese make rice cakes, Mochi to bring good luck in the coming year

Korea: New Years Eve is a family reunion time from the great grand father to the great grand daughter. Special sieves made of straw are hung outside to protect the family from evil and bad luck. Mornings, everyone’s dressed in new clothes usually decorated with five colors. Bowls of Ttok-kuk, soup of thinly sliced white rice cake boiled in a thick beef broth topped with bright garnishes and green onions. Koreans add one to their age after new years traditionally and not after birthdays. Breakfast is followed by the traditional bowing i.e. younger people bow to the elders wishing them health and long life, good luck and prosperity through the coming year. They follow the lunar calendar

Spain: The Spanish have had a traditional custom to celebrate New Year's Eve, 31st of December. At twelve p.m. everybody has to have twelve grapes to be eaten each time the clock chimes. By the time the clock has finished chiming, everybody has to finish their grapes and the New Year starts. The tradition is meant to secure twelve happy months in the coming year. From rock band performances to salsa, from ballroom dance to gourmet delights, you are in for countless surprises during the New Year in Barcelona. New Year in Barcelona last for as long as a week with an aura of jollity and festivity all around. The arrival of Magos who distribute candies to all in "The Procession of the Three Kings" is also part of the New Year in Barcelona

Norway: Norwegians eat a traditional lutefisk meal: mashed green peas, bacon, mustard, boiled potatoes and lutefisk. Lukefisk is a dried cod fish made with caustic soda.

Germany: Berlin is the place to be on New Year's Eve. Glimmering and gleaming and sizzling with lights, to ring in the New Year, New Year in Berlin are worth enjoying. Dance away the final hours of 2006 by being a part of exciting Berlin New Year Parties this winter. The countdown to 2007 begins watching the clock striking 12 at the clock tower of the rathaus at Alexanderplatz in Berlin.

Italy: Come and celebrate "La Festa di San Silvestro", or the New Year's Eve in Rome this winter. Formerly, New Year in Rome meant time to fast and eat only traditional food like fish and pasta. But times do change and so did the New Year in Rome. Now New Year in Rome means time to dance, eat, drink and party hard with the loved ones around. Filling the sky with different colors, countless fireworks are worth watching during the New Year in Rome. Classical music concerts outdoors on the square in front of the Quirinale is an added attraction of the New Year in Rome. It's a breathtaking sight to watch the sky dazzled with countless firework display as you ring in the New Year and ring out the old along with your loved ones in Milan.

Netherlands/Holland: The Dutch burn bonfires of Christmas trees on the street and launch fireworks. The fires are meant to purge the old and welcome the new.

Greece: New Year's Day is also the Festival of St. Basil, one of the founders of the Greek Orthodox Church. One of the traditional foods served is Vassilopitta, or St Basil's cake. A silver or gold coin is baked inside the cake. Whoever finds the coin in their piece of cake will be especially lucky during the coming year.

British Columbia: Swimming in the ice-cold water like a polar bear on New Year Day is said to bring in good luck.

The age-old New Year traditions of Resolutions and Fireworks are still followed even today,
Resolutions: It is believed that the Babylonians were the first to make New Year's resolutions, and people all over the world have been breaking them ever since. The early Christians believed the first day of the New Year should be spent reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve oneself in the New Year.
Fireworks: Noisemaking and fireworks on New Year's Eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck.

This is a brief glimpse into the New Year celebration in different parts around the World. The common theme in all these New Year celebrations remains hope and happiness all over the world.
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