New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated across the world in many diverse ways. Look to your own heritage for similar and associated traditions! Here are some unique ways people celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in different countries around the world:

NYC Ball Drop (courtesy Balldrop.com)

• United States (New York City & elsewhere): Millions gather in Times Square to watch the famous ball drop at midnight, followed by confetti, fireworks, and performances.  We count down from ten and celebrate with a kiss – a custom rooted in old English and German folklore.  Long ago, people believed the first person they encountered in the New Year would set the tone for the year ahead.  Over time, that evolved into choosing to share that moment with someone whose presence you want carried into the coming year.

  Fireworks at the Sydney Opera House (courtesy abc.net.au)

   

• Australia (Sydney): One of the first major cities to welcome the new year with a spectacular fireworks display over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
• Italy: People wear red underwear for luck and love, eat lentils (symbolizing coins for prosperity), and sometimes throw furniture and old items out windows to let go of the past and make space for the new year.
• Greece: On New Year’s morning, a pomegranate is smashed against the front door – the more seeds that scatter, the more abundance and good luck for the household in the coming year.

Spain’s 12 Grapes Tradition (courtesy indianexpress.com)

• Spain: At midnight, people eat 12 grapes—one for each stroke of the clock—to bring good luck for each month of the coming year.
• Scotland: Celebrations known as Hogmanay include street parties, bonfires, torchlight processions, and “first-footing”—being the first guest to enter a home after midnight, often bringing symbolic gifts like whiskey or shortbread for good luck.

Scotland’s celebration of Hogmanay (courtesy BBC Newsround)

The Brazilian tradition of “Jumping 7 Waves” at New Years (courtesy DYK on X.com)

• Denmark: Revelers smash old plates against friends’ doors to ward off bad spirits and jump off chairs at midnight to “leap” into the new year.
• Germany: Watching the classic British sketch “Dinner for One” on TV, eating pork for prosperity and enjoying fireworks.
• Brazil: Many head to beaches (like Copacabana in Rio) dressed in white for peace, jump over seven waves while making wishes, and offer flowers to the sea goddess Yemanjá.

The Ceremony of 108 Bells in Japan (courtesy mykyotomachiya.com)

• Ecuador: Effigies (año viejo) representing the old year are burned at midnight to symbolize letting go of the past and starting fresh.
• Columbia: Many wear brand-new yellow underwear and run around the house with a suitcase to invite luck and travel.
• Japan: Temples ring bells 108 times (Joya no Kane) to cleanse the sins of the past year; families eat long toshikoshi soba noodles for longevity and enjoy a quiet, reflective transition into the new year.
• Philippines: Displaying and eating 12 round fruits for prosperity in each month, and people wear polka dots or make loud noises with fireworks to drive away evil spirits.
• Russia: It’s customary to write a wish for the coming year, burn it, mix the ashes into champagne, and drink it before the clock strikes midnight. Families gather for a festive meal, watch the President’s speech and enjoy fireworks.  Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) delivers gifts, with major displays in places like Red Square in Moscow.
• Puerto Rico: Before celebrations, they clean their homes and throw dirty water out of windows to rid themselves of negative energy.

These traditions blend fireworks, food symbolism, and rituals for luck, reflecting cultural hopes for prosperity, love, health, good fortune, and renewal.