Ringing in the new year has been a tradition celebrated by cultures across the globe for at least 4,000 years. With the celebration has also come a variety of traditions.
History.com attributes Julius Ceasar for instituting Jan. 1 as the first day of the new year when he introduced the Julian calendar. Romans celebrated the new year by making sacrifices to the Roman god Janus.
Janus is depicted as a two-face god who was able to into both the past and future.
In medieval Europe, Christian leaders preferred to align the new year with religious holidays such as Christmas or March 25 — the feast of Annuciation. It was not until 1582 that Pope Gregory XIII reestablished the holiday to Jan. 1, according to History.com.
With the changing of the year, people of different cultures brought their own twist to the holiday, mostly through the foods they brought to the table.
In Spain, it has become a tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight in hopes of ushering in a year of good fortune and prosperity, according to BestLifeonline.com.
Oliebollen — a doughnut-like ball — is eaten in the Netherlands. The tradition dates back to Ancient Germanic tribes who believed the fat from the balls would cause the sword of the Germanic goddess Perchta — otherwise known as Perchta the Belly Slitter — to slide off the stomachs of those who had not “sufficiently partaken in yuletide cheer,” according to the website.
Japan’s tradition of eating toshikoshi soba — or year-crossing noodles — has lost its origin story. However, many believe that the thin and long shape of the noodles signifies a long and healthy life.
While not meant for consumption, the Greeks hang onions outside their homes to promote growth throughout the new year. They also smash pomegranates against their doors. In Greek mythology, pomegranates symbolize fertility, life and abundance. The more seeds scattered from the smashed fruit relates to the amount of good luck to come, according the website.
In countries such as Cuba, Austria and Hungary, pigs are a sign of progress and prosperity. In other countries such as Mexico, ring-shaped cakes and pastries signify the year has come full circle. And in Sweden and Norway, an almond is hidden in rice pudding waiting to bring luck to the person who finds it.
In America, the most widely known tradition, especially in the south, is to eat black-eyed peas for luck in the new year. Black-eyed peas can be traced back to medieval Africa and may have made their way to America via trade routes and slave ships and have most often been associated with New Year’s traditions in the American South, according to allrecipies.com.
No matter how you choose to celebrate the holiday, here’s hoping your traditions bring you good fortune in the new year.
