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New Year's Traditions
New Year’s Eve in the U.S. brings resolutions, watching televised celebrations from Times Square, fireworks, and toasting in the New Year to the familiar melody of Auld Lang Syne. Many countries share similar celebrations, but others have unique traditions to ring out the old and ring in the new.  Mexico
In Mexico and many other Latin American countries, celebrants believe the color of the undergarments you have on at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve will determine your experience the coming year. If you’re looking for wealth, wear yellow. Want to find love? Wear red.
Another custom is to eat 12 grapes at midnight – each one representing a month in the upcoming year. If the grape is sweet, the month will be sweet; but if the grape is sour, the month will not be good. This tradition is derived from “the twelve grapes of luck” which has been observed in Spain since 1909. Ecuador An unusual tradition in Ecuador is to create an effigy of a politician or celebrity who has been involved in some kind of scandal or dubious activity. These are made of straw, sawdust, or newspaper, dressed in old clothes, and fitted with a papier mache mask depicting the likeness of the original. Stuffed with firecrackers, the effigies are set on fire at midnight, to symbolically punish the offenders for their past deeds. Japan Many Japanese observe the Shinto tradition that considers New Year’s Eve as a time to welcome the god of the New Year and ancestral spirits. In preparation, they clean their homes and place a pair of “kadomatsu” – a Japanese decoration made with bamboo shoots -- in front of their home to provide housing for the spirits. They may also set out lengths of braided straw rope, called “shimenawa,” to ward off evil spirits. Philippines Filipino customs include wearing clothes with polka dots or other circular patterns on them or throwing coins into the air at the stroke of midnight, both of which are said to bring wealth in the new year. Tradition also includes making loud noises at midnight – on horns called “torotot,” lighting firecrackers, or banging on pots to frighten away evil spirits and forces. Germany and Denmark In addition to traditions similar to those in the U.S., every New Year’s Eve German and Danish television stations broadcast “Dinner for One” (also known as “The 90th Birthday”). Produced in 1963 in England, the 18-minute comedy sketch is shown repeatedly and watched by large numbers of German and Danish people. The popular German catchphrase: “Same procedure as every year” comes from this show.
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