“What are you doing for New Years?” seems to be a common mantra towards the end of the winter term, with relatively standard answers expected – “I’m with my family. I’m going to a friend’s. We’re going clubbing in the City”. New Year’s is often celebrated in a similar way across the world, being a predominantly Western holiday, though we typically know so little about it.
The Gregorian New Year was selected as 31st December in 1582 by Pope Silvester and has since been known as St. Silvester’s Day in Germany. Bonfires and fire feasts have traditionally taken place in Germany since 153 B.C. and today, most people celebrate around the world with lots of fireworks. The most magnificent of these are at Sydney Harbour Bridge, Times Square in New York City and the Brandenburger Gate in Berlin. Houses in UK and USA are traditionally decorated with mistletoe – a poisonous plant with white berries that is commonly associated with fertility and under which people kiss at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The Dutch and Belgians however prefer to kiss their neighbours three times on each cheek in the streets. At the same time, many others sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, a poem written by the Scottish poet James Watson in 1711, whilst crossing arms and shaking them up and down in time to the music.
The ten day festival of Novogodnie Kanikuly (New Year) is very prominent in Ukraine and Russia and is associated with rebirth. People paint glass baubles to hang on the New Year tree and exchange gifts. In Kyiv, people gather at Independence Square, where the Orange Revolution took place, to watch the president performing a song and dance routine on stage, the big clock countdown and the national firework display. Fireworks are a major part of New Year celebrations across Eastern Europe and are released in apartments, out of windows or whilst being held by bare hands. After midnight, everyone will state a blessing over each of their friends and relations. In other parts of the world, the Gregorian New Year is equally important and celebrated in a variety of ways. In Germany, for instance, many children pour lead as a fun fortune-telling activity, and in Mexico, a figurine made out of paper and resembling a popular TV star, is burnt on a huge bonfire.
The celebrations also continue on New Year’s Day. In the USA, most universities participate in televised American football games. The Rose Bowl which occurs in Pasadena, California, is the most famous of these and is preceded by the Rose Parade, unique in itself as all its floats are made from flowers and seeds. In the Netherlands, tens of thousands gather at Scheveningen, and other seaside towns, for a community run into the North Sea at midday and a hot cup of pea soup afterwards! In Malta and Cyprus, 1st January is Saint Basil’s Day, so after the morning celebrations in the Catholic churches, families share souvla - spit roasted meat, and vasilopita – a traditional New Year’s cake, made with a variety of doughs. Those who have prepared the vasilopita will hide a coin in each of the cakes and whoever receives it in their slice is declared lucky for the following year.
In fact, most cultures celebrate New Year’s with speciality foods. Germans have rich foods including cheese raclette, smoked fish with potato salad and lentil soup to signify prosperity in the coming year. Dutch eat oliebollen - fried dough balls with raisons, appelflappen - apple pastries, salads and quiches. Belgians share fattened duck liver (foie gras), toast, cheese and duck meat. Ukrainians and Russians perhaps make the biggest effort and prepare twelve salads to correspond with the twelve days of Christmas. The best established of these salads is Julienne, which comprises peas, corn, potatoes and cooked ham. Within Schengen Eastern Europe, Poles and Romanians eat tripe, roast duck with apples, cheese cake and bigos – stewed sour cabbage served with meat, mushrooms, dried plums and spices. Of course, there is also lots of vodka and champagne consumed across Eastern Europe. In Mexico, families share a big dinner before midnight consisting of roasted leg of pork, turkey and chicken dishes, and ponche - a hot beverage made from seasonal fruits, sugar, cinnamon and water.
So next time you celebrate New Year’s, think about its significance around the world and participate in other traditions instead of just living the line from the German New Year’s Eve classic Dinner for One, “What are you doing for New Year’s? Same procedure every year!”.
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