In Quebec, it’s well known, we generally welcome the New Year on big Christmas Eve, outside under fireworks, or even at home, in front of the Bye or other specials. However, if almost all the countries of the world use the Gregorian calendar and pass from one year to another on December 31, not all celebrate in the same way.
The duty offers you an overview of different unusual customs, in four regions of the world, which aim to welcome the new year or to look back on the one that is ending.
New Zealand — In this country which is one of the first in the world to change the year, many New Zealanders traditionally take to the streets at the stroke of midnight, armed with pans, in order to produce a festive and unifying din. Fireworks follow these celebrations in several cities. Moreover, in Auckland, the most populous in the country, the Sky Tower — a tower that resembles the CN Tower in Toronto — is illuminated and surrounded by fireworks.
South Africa — Like almost everyone else, South Africans celebrate the New Year on December 31, at midnight. However, in Cape Town, an important port city in the south of the country, we also celebrate the Kaapse Klopsewhere the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, January 2. It is a carnival associated with the Cape mestizos — a large ethnic group in the region — which stems from the fact that on January 2, black slaves got their only day off of the year, because their bosses rested after the festivities of the previous day. Nowadays, a parade is organized where artists wander the streets, wearing brightly colored clothes, playing festive music. This festival, which celebrates the new year for the colored people of Cape Town, also has special significance because it was banned for many years during apartheid.
Spain — Custom dictates that on December 31, at the nochevieja, the Spaniards swallow 12 grapes, one by one, to the rhythm of the 12 strokes of midnight, for the 12 months of the year. The count is also broadcast live on television. It is said that those who manage to swallow them in time will live a year of luck and prosperity. The tradition dates back to 1909. After a year in which the grape harvest was prolific to the point of overproduction, winegrowers in Alicante proposed that every Spaniard eat this fruit in this way at New Year’s to sell off stocks. The tradition then spread to several Latin American countries.
Scotland — The Scots celebrate, every December 31, the Hogmanay. It is a collection of traditional Scottish rites and modern cultural events with diverse origins, including the pagan festivals of the Scandinavian winter solstice. For example, although it is practiced less and less, the first-footing is to be the first person to cross the doorstep of a friend or neighbour, at midnight, often with a symbolic gift such as whiskey or a cake. This person is then considered to bring good fortune for the coming year. New Year’s Eve celebrations in Edinburgh are often the most popular in the world, bringing together hundreds of thousands of people. This year the Hogmanay Edinburgh will last three days and will consist of both fireworks and music concerts.