By dev ramkumar | Headout
1.
Locals craft an 'Old Man' using dry grass, paper, and old clothes. As the clock ticks towards midnight, this symbolic figure, seated on a chair or cycle and clutching an empty booze bottle, becomes a beacon of change. The 'Old Man' is finally set ablaze.
2.
Scotland's Hogmanay, a three-day celebration, begins with torchbearers parading through the streets. On Hogmanay, professionals swing fireballs overhead, hurling them into the sea, a ritual thought to ward off malevolent spirits.
3.
Beneath the bed, three potatoes await: unpeeled for a prosperous year, half-peeled for an average one, and fully peeled for impending challenges. Your blind pick unveils the fate that awaits in the coming year.
4.
Collected throughout the year, plates adorned with messages are joyfully shattered against loved ones' doors. This symbolic act signifies gratitude, bidding farewell to negativity, fostering fresh opportunities, and warding off evil spirits in a festive, communal celebration.
5.
As midnight approaches, temple bells resonate, tolling 108 times symbolizing the cleansing of passions. The 107 tolls precede midnight, and the final toll signifies liberation from worldly desires in the New Year.
6.
Villagers don real bearskins, weighing up to 50 kgs, flooding the streets for a lively celebration rooted in Romani traditions. This enigmatic custom embodies Romania's New Year spirit through a cultural fusion of history and folklore.
7.
In Greece, New Year's traditions thrive with symbolic richness. Hanging onions at doorways, a practice steeped in ancient symbolism, signifies growth, rebirth, and fertility.
8.
In Spain, New Year's Eve transcends clock bell strikes. The Twelve Grapes tradition, dating to 1895, entails eating a grape with each midnight chime. A tapestry of good luck, this communal ritual evolved from warding off witches.
9.
In the Philippines, a vibrant New Year tradition involves placing 12 round fruits on the table, symbolizing good luck for each month. The round shape is considered a magnet for good fortune, possibly linked to prosperity.
10.
In Brazil, New Year's Eve embraces white as the symbol of luck and peace. At midnight, beachgoers revel in fireworks before leaping seven waves, tossing flowers into the sea, and making wishes.