Uncommon Folk 31 Days of Winter - Ringing in the New Year: Global Traditions and Customs

Ever wondered why some people ring in the New Year by setting scarecrows ablaze or hurling plates at their friends' doors? Discover the quirky and colorful customs that people around the globe embrace to usher in a prosperous year, from Ecuador's fiery traditions to Japan's bell-ringing sin banishment. We'll unravel the secrets behind wearing specific colors of underwear in South America and the joyful chaos of polka dots in the Philippines, promising you a front-row seat to this fascinating global celebration.

Thanks for listening!

Visit https://uncommonfolk.buzzsprout.com and subscribe for updates, events and news as it comes.
You can also write to us to suggest local myths, traditions and stories for us to discuss in future micro episodes, or just provide us with feedback.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:08

New Year's Traditions Now across the world. There are many folklore traditions and superstitions, so I'd like to compile quite a few of them into this little segment Now. In Ecuador, they indulge in scarecrow burning. They set fire to scarecrows which are filled with paper at midnight on New Year's Eve and they also burn any old photographs that represent bad memories. Bad memories according to tradition. It's by doing this it banishes any ill fortune or any bad things that have happened in the last 12 months. Eating 12 grapes this is a spanish tradition that involves eating one grape with each chime of the clock at midnight, and it brings good luck for each month of the new year. Breaking plates in Denmark I know that Greeks usually are associated with breaking plates, but in Denmark they do this on New Year's Eve. They throw any unused plates that have been saved up throughout the year at the front doors of family and friends, and it's for good luck. Hopefully, the family and friends know about this tradition, otherwise they'll think it might be a crockery attack. Japan on New Year's Eve, you'll hear the sound of 108 bells chiming. This is a Buddhist tradition and it's believed to banish human sins and brings good luck to everyone who hears them.

Speaker 1: 1:59

In South America there's a superstition that involves the colour of your underwear, and the colour of your underwear determines what the new year will bring. So if you were to wear red underpants for new year, you'd want to find love. Those hoping to find wealth would opt for yellow. If you're looking for peace, white pants would do the job. In the Philippines, wearing polka dots is believed to bring good fortune in the new year. Opening the doors and windows this is a tradition. It's all over the place, actually all over the world A tradition where opening doors and windows this is a tradition. It's all over the place, actually all over the world a tradition where opening doors and windows just before midnight is Billy to let the old year out and invite the new one in. Um, there is a superstition about walking around with an empty suitcase, superstition where, if you carry an empty suitcase on New Year's Eve, it's believed to welcome new experiences and a year of travel.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Eating collard greens and black-eyed peas this is a southern tradition, as you'd expect. From that food I mean very traditional southern food. We're eating collard greens and black eyed peas on new year's eve. It brings you good luck and prosperity. Making noise now, this is something that people do anyway on new year's eve quite often, uh, they start off the new year with making noise ringing bells, blowing noise, horns, setting off all this sort of thing is supposed to sort of welcome in the new year, get rid of all the bad vibes, as it were, and bring in the good ones.

Speaker 1: 3:54

Cleaning, now. There's a legend in China and Latin America that cleaning is believed to sweep negativity away from your life and family. I love that one. Throwing furniture out the window yes, throwing furniture out the window this is an Italian one usually soft items, so I mean, you know there might be like pillows and that sort of thing, cushions, blankets, and it symbolizes a fresh start for the upcoming year. I'm hoping you can get them back, otherwise it could be expensive. Argentina have got a version of this throwing paper out of the window. They'd shred all their old documents and papers and the Argentines would throw them out of the window and it sort of looks like a cloud of confetti. They shred everything before the curtain falls on the year to symbolise leaving the past behind, and in Romania, farmers would spend their New Year's communicating with their livestock. If they succeed to talk to animals, I'm not sure if they're expected to talk back. Good luck comes their way. So there's a lot of different different traditions for New Year's Eve.