Diverse Countdowns: Unique New Year Celebrations Worldwide

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The world waits excitedly for the new year. People from different cultures celebrate unique ways to start a fresh beginning. From the famous Times Square ball drop in New York City to interesting traditions like jumping waves in Brazil, every country has its special way of celebrating as we move into the new year. Let’s look at some of these interesting New Year’s Eve customs from around the world.

Times Square Ball Drop in New York City:

Since 1907, dropping the ball at Times Square has become a famous sign of how people celebrate New Year’s. Many, many people come together in Times Square and a billion others watch around the world. The event has famous hosts, big music stars and lots of fun feelings as we say goodbye to last year’s memories in the New York City centre.

Jumping Waves and Wearing White in Brazil

In Brazil, people celebrate New Year’s Eve at the beach and wear white clothes. A special custom is to give gifts to Iemanjá, the sea goddess in African-Brazilian religions. People jump over seven waves, saying thank you with each wave. They don’t turn their backs on the sea to stop bad luck from happening.

First Footing in Scotland

On New Year’s Eve in Scotland, people celebrate with “first footing”. This is where the first person who enters a house after midnight brings good luck. This person, often a big guy with dark hair, comes carrying things that have meaning like coal, cookies, salt and black bread. He also brings whiskey along too!

Ringing Bells 108 Times in Japan

In Japan, Japanese Buddhist temples ring bells 108 times on New Year’s Eve in a custom called Joya no Kane. In Buddhism, every bell ring means eliminating one of the 108 kinds of worldly wants. “Joya” means “throw away the old and move on to the new.” It is a spiritual way of looking at things when starting this year.

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Source: Yahoo! News

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