On this day, great things are planned

Every country around the world has a special way of welcoming the New Year. Traditions abound.

American New Year traditions, based on largely European folklore, include making loud noises at midnight (to chase away evil spirits, legend has it), kissing at midnight (to ensure that those close to us remain so throughout the year) and opening all the doors and windows to let out the old year and bring in the new year.

At traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, people wear red clothes and give children “lucky money” in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which, according to legend, can drive away bad luck.

On the fifteenth day of the month, Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival. Lanterns are painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. The highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance. The dragon – which might stretch a hundred feet long – is typically made of silk, paper, and bamboo. Traditionally, the dragon is held aloft by young men who dance as they guide the colourful beast through the streets.

An Armenian New Year includes traditional foods like dried fruits, raisins, and a variety of pastries and cakes. The most important among the pastries is the darin – a big flat bread with a coin hidden in it. The person who finds the piece with the coin in it is considered the ‘lucky’ member of the family for the New Year.

January 1st is an important date in Greece not only because it is the first day of the New Year but also because it is St. Basil’s day. St. Basil was one the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church. New Year’s Day is the main day for gift-giving and for stories about St. Basil’s kindness to children and the stories of how he would come in the night and leave gifts for the children in their shoes. A custom unrelated to St. Basil but still a new year’s tradition has Greek girls eating something salty before going to bed. They believe it will help them to dream about their future husband.

In Ireland, one’s future spouse is allegedly determined during a variation on the game of apple-bobbing, part of a Celtic new year’s tradition.


Whatever your new year’s tradition or resolution might be, we sincerely hope you take time to celebrate your past success, appreciate where you are today, and plan ahead for an even brighter future.