New Year’s
By: Winnie Chan and Traci Mar
When you hear “New Year’s Eve” what comes to mind? Maybe fireworks, a count down, resolutions, but if you lived in a different country that might not be what you think of. We’ve booked some airline tickets* to several different countries so that you can see what other countries do as new year begins.
The Vietnamese New Year is called Nguyen-dan, more commonly referred to as Tet. To prepare for the New Year, they clean their houses, polish their silverware and copper, and pay off all their debts. Vietnamese believe there are three gods to honor during this time because of the three legged equipment they use for cooking. The middle god is a woman, the other two are her husbands. Part of the custom to honor the gods is to give them a carp to travel on, so the family buys a carp and puts it in a bucket of water in front of the altar, to free it later. A customary rice pudding called banh Chung or banh Tet is prepared beforehand containing mung beans and pork. Other New Year foods are preserved sweets, beef, chicken, fish, coconuts or seasonal fruit. The festivities last three days. On the first day they visit all their closest friends and family. On the second day they visit in-laws and other friends who might not be as close. On the third day they visit their family teacher’s and the really distant relatives.
Yuan Tan, Chinese New Year occurs between January 21 and February 20 by the lunar calendar. A new moon marks the beginning of each new month. During this time families feast, visit relatives and friends. The celebration brings luck, health, happiness, and wealth till the next year. People clean their houses to rid it of lasts year’s bad luck before the celebration begins. There are street parades presenting floats, dancing dragons, associated with longevity and wealth, and lions parade the streets. The Chinese believe evil sprits dislike loud noises so they decorate their houses with plastic firecrackers to frighten away the evil spirits and bad luck they might bring. They believe tangerines are lucky because of their bright color, but odd numbers are unlucky, so they are always given in pairs. Lucky money is given in red envelopes with the family name and good-luck message written on them in gold. Red envelopes are given on New Years by relatives, to the unmarried and the family children. During this time, new clothes are worn, and everyone exchanges good wishes of kung-his fa-tsai, meaning congratulations and prosperity. Old grudges are cast aside in this atmosphere of warmth and friendliness.
Japanese New Year, Oshogatsu is celebrated on January 1. This is an important time for family celebrations, all the shops, factories and offices are closed. The Japanese hang a rope of straw across the front of their houses, which stands for happiness and good luck so they can keep the evil spirits away. As New Year begins the Japanese begin to laugh, because they believe that laughing is suppose to bring good luck in the New Year. The ringing of a bell 108 times frees the year from evil. New Years in Japan lasts for two weeks. January 2 is kakizome, first writing in Japan. Kakizome is when each member in the family takes turn dipping a Burch into freshly mixed ink and inscribing a favorite poem or proverb onto a long strip of paper.
The Korean New Year. The first day of the lunar New Year is called Sol-nal. On New Year’s Eve people place straw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirits. Everyone dresses in new clothes. The following morning, which is a fresh beginning, people gather at the home of the eldest male family member. The younger generation bows to the family elders. They wish them good health and prosperity in the coming year. The elders give newly minted money or gifts. The Koreans have a bowl of rice cake soup called ttokkuk because they believe that the soup will add an extra year to your life.Korean age is actually calculated at the New Year, so everyone becomes older on New Year’s Day.
Diwali is the festival celebrating the new year in India. The Indians place lights in the windows of every building in early November, to give the illusion the whole village or town is shining. The oil lamps decorating the houses are called diwas. Another purpose of these lames is to drive out evil and replace it with goodness and to guide Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, to a house so she can bless it. To prepare for the New Year, people settle their accounts and buy new thing for themselves and their homes. Cards and gifts are exchanged; everyone is at peace with each other because it’s a time of happiness and generosity.
We travel now to Europe, to visit Spain and Portugal. The new year’s customsare very similar in these countries. Twelve seconds before the clock strikes midnight, people eat 12 grapes, one for every second. This is to ensure they will have a prosperous twelve months. This custom is so important that theater productions and movies are paused to carry it out.
Jour des Étrennes means Day of New Year’s Presents, or French New Year. In 1582 the French adopted the reformed calendar in 1582, which changed the beginning of the New Year from March 25 to January 1. In France dinner parties are prepared for the entire family. People exchange presents and greeting cards. People would send fake gifts on April first, which originally culminated in the New Year feast; these gifts were only a joke on those who previously had received their New Year’s gift on that day. Poisson d'avril or April fish is the name the French call those that have fooled or mocked on April first (April fools).
In Germany people drop molten lead into cold water to attempt to foretell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring means a wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig means plenty of food in the year ahead. People will leave a bit of every food eaten on New Year’s Eve on their plate until after Midnight as a way of ensuring a well- stocked larder.
Now we travel to Scotland, where New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay or Night of the Candle. Both New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve are called Daft Days. Hogmanays are a special three cornered biscuit eaten this time of year. Other New Year’s foods are wine, cheese, shortbread, currant loaf and scones. Scots purify the house before the New Year. They do this by carrying a burning juniper branch thorought the entire house. Another belief of the Scots’ celebration is the first person to step into your house will determine whether you have good or bad luck the entire upcoming year. The most welcome person in the Scottish home would be a tall dark, haired man bringing a gift. Another custom is to make a straw figure called the “auld wife” and burn it in a bonfire to represent throwing away the old year. Their traditional New Year’s song is Auld Lang Syne.
The first Day of the Greek New Year is St. Basil’s day. St. Basil is a forefather of the Greek Orthodox Church, famous for his kindness and generosity to the poor. New Year’s is more festive than Christmas Day because it is the main day of gift giving. Every Greek has a Christian name based on a religious figure or a saint. Each day is a feast for a certain saint on their name day; the Greeks celebrate with an exchange of gifts for everyone, not just the name day person, and feasts, drinks and music. Some New Year’s foods include Vassilopitta or St. Basil’s cake, Kourabiedes shortbread, thiples, honey, nuts and fresh fruits. St. Basil’s cake has a tradition behind it. Silver or gold coins are baked into it and whoever finds the coin after it is distributed will have extra good luck the next year. Children sing carols and families attend church to be blessed during this time.
We hope you enjoyed this special tour around the globe to find what other people do to celebrate the New Year!
*airline tickets not authentic, they won’t get you anywhere unless you use your imagination! Although if you would like to purchase your own tickets at your expense and give us a first hand account of how others celebrate New Year’s, you’re welcome to do that and share your experiences with us!
