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Times Square

Watching the colorful, crystal ball drop in Time Square never gets old for the TV viewers who turn on their TV sets every December 31.  As many as 1 million people attend this party every year to enjoy musical performances, fireworks and party favors. This tradition seems like one of the most common in United States I personally enjoy the fun and the joy this celebration causes.

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Like people all over the world, Americans carry out traditions on the last day of the year to let go of the past and latch on to the future. Fireworks, champagne and midnight smooching are among the festive ways New Years is celebrated in the U.S. Many people enjoy welcoming in the New Year with family and friends, while others prefer a public celebration amongst a crowd of boisterous revelers.

Times Square

Watching the colorful, crystal ball drop in Time Square never gets old for the TV viewers who turn on their TV sets every December 31. Since 1907, barring World War II years, New York City has hosted a massive party on Times Square. As many as 1 million people attend this party every year to enjoy musical performances, fireworks and party favors, although alcohol is forbidden. The culmination of the festivities is the midnight lowering of a ball from the Times Tower. The original 1907 ball was illuminated and made of wood and iron. The modern ball weighs 11,875 pounds and is covered in Waterford crystals that make it shine.

Midnight Count Down

Traditions frequently revolve around the stroke of midnight, which heralds the new year. At both public and private gatherings, people count down the last 10 seconds of the old year at 12 a.m. Many people toast to the new year with a glass of champagne while others grab a loved one or a friendly stranger and bestow upon him the first kiss of the year. Many towns and cities put on a show with fireworks and provide noisemakers, meant to scare off evil spirits. Some Americans band together and sing "Auld Lang Syne," an Irish song bidding farewell to the old year.

Symbolic Foods

Some Americans eat certain foods either at New Year's Eve parties or on New Year's Day to bring good luck. European-Americans often eat pork, not only because the pig's plumpness suggests plenty, but also because pigs dig with their snout in a forward motion. People like the idea of moving forward into the Near Year. New Englanders often choose cabbage to go with their pork as a symbol of prosperity. Another dish for prosperity is Hoppin' John, a southern dish made of black-eyed peas. Not only do the "eyes" on the black-eyed peas resemble a circle for the completed year, but they also represent abundance, symbolizing the hope for a similar amount of money.

Other Traditions

Several cities host "first night" festivities, alcohol-free, family-oriented celebrations often featuring live music. Other cities let the alcohol flow along with elaborate costumes, boas, top hats and sparkly masks. Many African-Americans observe "Watch Night" in their local churches as an observance of the Emancipation Proclamation's signing on January 1, 1863. Italian-Americans wear red underwear, said to bring them love, which must work judging from all the midnight kissing going on.

About the Author

Nadia Archuleta has a B.A. in English writing. She spent five years working abroad and has traveled extensively. She has worked as an English as a Foreign/Second Language teacher for 12 years.

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New Year's Eve Traditions in the USA | Synonym

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Like people all over the world, Americans carry out traditions on the last day of the year to let go of the past and latch on to the future. Fireworks, champagne and midnight smooching are among the festive ways New Years is celebrated in the U.S.

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Midnight Count Down
At the very end of December families gather together and count down the last 20 seconds of the last year. some toast with champagne for a prosperous year and give their love ones their first hug of the year.

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Brazil

In Brazil, as well as other Central and South America countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela, it is thought to be lucky to wear special underwear on New Year’s Eve. The most popular colors are red, thought to bring love in the New Year, and yellow, thought to bring money.

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Colombia

In hopes of a travel-filled new year, residents of Colombia carry empty suitcases around the block. That’s one New Year’s tradition we can get behind!

Denmark

Residents of Denmark greet the New Year by throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of family and friends to banish bad spirits. They also stand on chairs and jump off of them together at midnight to “leap” into January in hopes of good luck.

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Travel Tips and Information

Happy (almost!) New Year!

Whether you're ringing in New Year's Eve from some exciting foreign country or at home with family and friends, you probably have a New Year's tradition or two. Common traditions throughout the United States include singing "Auld Lang Syne" to greet the New Year, and eating black-eyed peas for good luck.

Around the world, cultures welcome the change of the calendar with unique New Year's traditions of their own. Here are some of our favorite New Year's traditions around the world (we're especially fans of Colombia's!).
Spain
In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes - one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year's Eve. Each grape represents good luck for one month of the coming year. In bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona, people gather in main squares to eat their grapes together and pass around bottles of cava.
Colombia
In hopes of a travel-filled new year, residents of Colombia carry empty suitcases around the block. That's one New Year's tradition we can get behind!
Denmark
Residents of Denmark greet the New Year by throwing old plates and glasses against the doors of family and friends to banish bad spirits. They also stand on chairs and jump off of them together at midnight to "leap" into January in hopes of good luck.
Finland
In Finland, people predict the coming year by casting molten tin into a container of water, then interpreting the shape the metal takes after hardening. A heart or ring means a wedding, while a ship predicts travel and a pig declares there will be plenty of food.
Panama
To drive off evil spirits for a fresh New Year's start, it is tradition to burn effigies (muñecos) of well-known people such as television characters and political figures in Panama. The effigies are meant to represent the old year.
Scotland
During Scotland's New Year's Eve celebration of Hogmanay, "first-footing" is practiced across the country. The first person who crosses a threshold of a home in the New Year should carry a gift for luck. Scots also hold bonfire ceremonies where people parade while swinging giant fireballs on poles, supposedly symbols of the sun, to purify the coming year.
Philippines
You'll find round shapes all over the Philippines on New Year's Eve as representatives of coins to symbolize prosperity in the coming year. Many families display piles of fruit on their dining tables and some eat exactly 12 round fruits (grapes being the most common) at midnight. Many also wear polka dots for luck.
Brazil
In Brazil, as well as other Central and South America countries like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Venezuela, it is thought to be lucky to wear special underwear on New Year's Eve. The most popular colors are red, thought to bring love in the New Year, and yellow, thought to bring money.
Greece
An onion is traditionally hung on the front door of homes on New Year's Even in Greece as a symbol of rebirth in the New Year. On New Year's Day, parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion.

How will you ring in 2022?

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9 New Year's Traditions From Cultures Around The World | WorldStrides

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Cultures all around the world have unique New Year's traditions to welcome the change of the calendar. Here are nine of our favorite New Year's traditions.

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New Year Holiday Traditions Around The World 

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New Year Holiday Traditions Around The World 

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Spain

In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes one at each stroke of the clock at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Each grape represents good luck for one month of the coming year. In bigger cities like Madrid and Barcelona, people gather in main squares to eat their grapes together and pass around bottles of cava.

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Italians celebrate New Year's Eve with La Festa di San Silvestro, often commencing with a traditional cotechino con lenticchie, a sausage and lentil stew that is said to bring good luck (the lentils represent money and good fortune) and, in certain households, zampone, a stuffed pig's trotter.

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Tamales, corn dough stuffed with meat, cheese and other delicious additions and wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk, make appearances at pretty much every special occasion in Mexico. But the holiday season is an especially favored time for the food.

In many families, groups of women gather together to make hundreds of the little packets -- with each person in charge of one aspect of the cooking process -- to hand out to friends, family and neighbors. On New Year's, it's often served with menudo, a tripe and hominy soup that is famously good for hangovers.

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They eat what? New Year’s food traditions around the world | CNN

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Soba noodles in Japan. Hoppin’ John in the USA. Feast on these plus eight other New Year’s food traditions around the world.

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Some things that you didn't know about New Year.

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Bet You Didn't Know: New Year's Eve | History

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In this past year I've learn many stuff and many things has happen to me:
-I moved from my country
-I made awesome new friends
-I got over my fear of highs by riding a roller coaster
and many more.
But the most important part of my year was that I realize that you can achieve great things with small accomplishments like: helping people, being tolerant, or being cooperative, cause this little things are the ones that make a big impact on the world

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My new year resolutions:
-To read more books
-To do more exercise
-To watch all the new movies that this year has prepared for us
-To stop procrastinating
-Enjoy the little things of life
-Get off the electronics
-To get smarter
-Enjoy nature.
So I know that I may not be able to accomplish many things on my list but I Believe that a new year with a purpose it's a good year.