Good luck traditions/rituals from around the world...

With New Year just around the corner, here's a look at some of the good luck traditions/rituals from around the world. They are believed to bring good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. 

Austria :  The suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the New Year. It's served on a table decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert often consists of green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf clover. 

Babylonia : The people of Mesopotamia celebrate the New Year festival known as Akitu in the springtime. At this time they celebrate the arrival of the spring rains and the renewal of nature, as well as the renewal of the community. At the festival the story of the creation is read out to remind people of the order of the universe and how it had risen out of the struggle between Marduck the god of heaven and Tiamut goddess of the powers of chaos. 

Bahai : The Bahai people (Part of Iran) have their own calendar consisting of nineteen months of nineteen days plus a couple of extra days between the eighteenth and nineteenth months. They have however adopted the Iranian custom of beginning the New Year in the spring equinox. The day begins at sunset rather than midnight, and the New Year celebrations are held during the evening of March 20th. 

Belgium : In Belgium New Year's Eve is called Sint Sylvester Vooranvond or Saint Sylvester Eve. The réveillon or New Year's Eve family parties are thrown. At midnight everyone kisses, exchanges good luck greetings, and drinks toasts to absent relatives and friends. The cities, cafés, and restaurants are crowded with people who bid farewell to the Old Year. New Year's Day is called Nieuwjaarsdag at this time of the year the children save money to buy decorated paper for writing holiday greetings to parents and god parents. 

Brazil : In Brazil the lentil is believed to signify wealth, so on the first day of the New Year they serve lentil soup or lentils and rice. In Brazil on New Year's Eve priestesses of the local macumba voodoo cult dress in blue skirts and white blouses for a ceremony dedicated to the goddess of water, Yemanja. A sacrificial boat laden with flowers, candles and jewellery is pushed out to sea from Brazil's famous Ipenama beach in Rio de Janeiro. 

Burma : The Burmese New Year, which is based on the Fixed Zodiac system, falls on or around April 16. In Burma there is a three day New Year festival called Maha Thingyan, which is celebrated with prayers, fasting and fun. During the festivities, buildings and temples are washed, and people throw water over each other. This is partly to welcome the heavy rains of the coming monsoon season. The Burmese New Year festival is held to celebrate the New Year, by performing meritorious deeds and spraying one another with Thingyan water. 

Cambodia : The people of Cambodia use the Indian Calendar to calculate the start of the New Year festival. The festival starts on the 12, 13 or 14 April according to the Gregorian calendar and lasts for three days. Cambodian New Year's Eve is the day before whichever date it is and it lasts three days. It is called Chaul Chnam Thmey, which means entering the New Year. 

China : The Chinese New Year is known as "Yuan Tan". Among all the other New Year traditions around the World, the Chinese celebrations are very famous and colorful. The traditional Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar and it may fall between January 1 and February 19. The Chinese New Year celebrations last for 10-15 days. Some of the different ways to express joy is by playing drums, setting off fireworks and beating the cymbals. The Chinese believe that it wades off the evil spirits and brings fortune. People exchange red envelopes with gold coins in it as a symbol of good luck.


Denmark : It is pretty surprising but, it is very auspicious to find the door heaped with pile of broken dishes on New Year in Denmark. Throughout the year people save all the old dishes and then throw them at the entrance of the homes on the New Year eve. It is believed that the number of broken dishes you have, that many friends you have which is considered very auspicious. In most of the parts of Scandinavian countries, New Year celebrations are done with great joy and preparation. There are many Danish cuisines which served on the New Year party eve. Kale, is among the favourite dishes which is served with sprinkled sugar and cinnamon with white sauce. 

Ecuador - Usually when you burn someone’s picture it means bad break up. However in Ecuador, the fiesta includes all the locals gathering together with pictures that represent something you do not want in the New Year from the last year and burning it.


Egypt : In Egypt the New Year is a public holiday and has a very festive atmosphere. Although they know in advance when the New Year begins they still observe the custom of the new crescent moon must be seen before the official announcement is made. The sighting is carried out at the Muhammad Ali mosque which is at the top of the hill in Cairo. The message is then passed on to the religious leader known as the Grand Mufti and he proclaims the New Year. The men who have been waiting outside the mosque wish each other a happy New Year by saying "Kol Sana We Enta Tayeb!" 

German : In Germany people would drop molten lead into cold water and try to tell the future from the shape it made. A heart or ring shape meant a wedding, a ship a journey, and a pig plenty of food in the year ahead. People also would leave a bit of every food eaten on New Year's Eve on their plate until after Midnight as a way of ensuring a well-stocked larder. Carp was included as it was thought to bring wealth. 

Greece : January 1st is the most important date in the history of Greece. The day is not only observed as New Year but, also as St Basil's Day. The Greek Orthodox churches considered St Basil as one of the forefathers. Special New Year bread is baked by all the family members. A coin is buried in the dough which is considered very auspicious. Greeks celebrate the New Year with great pomp and show. They share traditional sweet bread with everyone. The coin brings good luck and fortune for the year.

Hungary : In Hungary they burn effigies or a scapegoat known as "Jack Straw" which represented the evils and misfortunes of the past year to burn on New Year's Eve. Jack Straw is carried around the village before being burnt. 

India : Hindu New Year is the time of festivity. This is the time to meet and greet people and share gifts and sweets. Hindus will paint their houses, decorate it and lit up lamps and candles in the evening. Some of the traditions followed in Hindu New Year celebrations are,

• Lighting up oil lamps
• Making rangolis at houses
• Buying and gifting new clothes
• Distributing sweets amongst neighbours and relatives
• Worshiping Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi. They are believed to bring in wealth and prosperity.

Ploughing is an important part of New Year celebration. In some parts of India New Year celebration is marked with the beginning of the harvest session. 

Japan : The Japanese New Year Oshogatsu is an important time for family celebrations, when all the shops, factories and offices are closed. The Japanese decorate their homes in tribute to lucky gods. One tradition, kadomatsu, consists of a pine branch symbolizing longevity, a bamboo stalk symbolizing prosperity, and a plum blossom showing nobility. 

Korea : The first day of the lunar New Year is called Sol-nal. This is for families to renew ties and prepare for the New Year. New Year's Eve: People place straw scoopers, rakes or sieves on their doors and walls to protect their families from evil spirit sin the New Year. Everyone dresses in new clothes, the following morning, symbolizing a fresh beginning, and gathers at the home of the eldest male family member. Ancestral memorial rites are held, then the younger generation bows to elders in the family. They wish them good health and prosperity in the coming year. 

Norway : Norwegians make rice pudding at New Year's and hide one whole almond within. Guaranteed wealth goes to the person whose serving holds the lucky almond. 

Pakistan : New Year in Pakistan is known as Nowrooz or New Day. This day begins in March and traditionally represents the rebirth of nature after the long winter. The New Year begins the instant the sun is no longer in the astrological sign of Pisces and enters Aries. It is celebrated as a time of renewal. One of the customs of Nawrooz is the practice of burning piles of wood. The bonfires are a symbol to destroy any remaining evil from the previous year. 

Peru : The Peruvian New Year's custom is a spin on the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at the turn of the year. But in Peru, a 13th grape must be eaten to assure good luck. 

Philippines - It is a tradition in the Philippines that Filipinos focus on all round things. They consume round fruits such as grapes and wear clothing with round shapes such as polka dots. The round shape reminds and celebrates the roundness of coins, as they hope for prosperity in the New Year.

Poland : In Poland New Year's Eve is known as St Sylvester's Eve. This name according to legends arose from Pope Sylvester I who was supposed to have imprisoned a dragon called Leviathan who was supposedly able to escape on the first day of the year 1000, devour the land and the people, and was suppose to have set fire to the heavens. On New Year's Day, when the world did not come to an end, there was great rejoicing and from then on this day was called St Sylvester's Eve. 

Portugal : The Portuguese pick and eat twelve grapes from a bunch as the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve. This is done to ensure twelve happy months in the coming year. In Northern Portugal children go caroling from home to home and are given treats and coins. They sing old songs or Janeiro's which is said to bring good luck. 

Rome : Romans prepare for the New Year festival which is known as January Kalends by decorating their houses with lights and greenery. The festival lasts for three days, during this time they hold feasts and exchange gifts which were carefully chosen for their luck-bringing properties these include such things as sweets or honey to ensure sweetness and peace as well as Gold, Silver or money for prosperity. Lamps for a year filled with light. 

Sicily : An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who eat lasagna on New Year's Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for any other noodle will bring bad luck. 

South Africa : In South Africa they ring in the New Year with church bells ringing and gunshots being fired. For those in the Cape Province New Year's Day and Second New Year's Day are full of a carnival atmosphere as there are carnivals where people dress in colourful costumes and dance in streets to the sound of drums. 

South America : Residents all wear brightly coloured underpants. Those who wear red are hoping for love in the new year. Those who chose to wear yellow are wishing for money.

Spain : When the clock strikes midnight they eat 12 grapes one with every toll to bring good luck for the next 12 months of the New Year. Sometimes the grapes are washed down with wine. Theatre productions and movies are interrupted to carry out this custom. 

Thailand : The Thai New Year festival is called Songkran and lasts for three days from 13 to 15 April according the Gregorian calendar. The customs are many such as people throw water over one another, under the guise of that it will bring good rains in the coming year and all the Buddha statues or images are washed. They visit the monastery to pray and offer gifts of rice, fruit, sweets and other foods for the monks. 

UK : Welcoming the new year in UK is supposed to be noisy - full of loud cheers and whistles of family and friends, followed by kissing and drinking and singing the melodious "Auld Lang Syne" song. One of the most popular of UK New Year traditions still prevalent is called "First Footing". According to the custom, a family is blessed with good luck and prosperity if a tall, dark and good-looking male is the first person to enter through the front door after the New Year arrives. Carrying a piece of coal, a loaf and a bottle of Whiskey, the visitor should neither speak to anyone nor be spoken to until he places the coal on fire, puts the loaf on table, serves the drink to the family head and finally wishes everyone a "Happy New Year". He should leave the house through the back door to complete the tradition with flying colours.


US : In the USA, it is a tradition to gather at Times Square (in the New York City) on New Year eve and celebrate through the night until the clock announces onset of the new year. An exhilarating amount of crowd jam packs the stunning square and everyone enthusiastically participates in the gala event. The entire program is telecast live for the rest of the Americans and the world to watch from home. As the clock strikes past midnight, the entire Times Square breaks into euphoric cheers, honking cars and people sharing kisses to wade off the old and the evil. Among other popular New Year traditions, people like to watch football games, crowd streets and have special food called Hoppin' John with black-eyed beans, along with cakes and champagne for luck and prosperity. 

Wales : At the first toll of midnight, the back door is opened and then shut to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the twelfth stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is welcomed with all of its luck. 

(http://www.goalsguy.com/events/n_good-luck-traditions.html)