1. Japan - ring the bell one hundred and eight
Japanese people used to have two New Year's Day, that is, New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, similar to the current situation in China. Only in modern times has it changed to a new calendar year. The night of New Year's Eve, the Japanese call "New Year's Eve", New Year's Eve, the Japanese also have the custom of the New Year's Eve, people eat buckwheat noodles, while watching the TV station for the New Year's program, male and female singers solo singing contest is the most popular. At midnight, temples are filled with smoke and bells are rung, and often one hundred and eight times. It is said that this is due to the saying in the Buddhist scriptures that "the sound of the bell clears away all worries". The Japanese believe that each stroke of the bell removes one kind of worry, and that ringing it 108 times means that all worries are removed. After the bell is rung, people flock to shrines and temples to burn incense and worship Buddha, and to read fortunes, which is known as "Hatsu Atai" (meaning the first visit). It is estimated that nearly 80 million people pay homage from midnight to New Year's Day every year. On the morning of New Year's Day, the whole family, from the youngest to the oldest, drink tusu wine and taste green roe, black beans, and small dried fish boiled in soy sauce with a slightly sweet flavor. It is said that these foods, which symbolize good fortune, will bring prosperity and good health to children and grandchildren.
The Japanese call the first day of New Year's Day "Shoichi," and the first to third days of New Year's Day are called "Sangaichi. On the first day of the New Year, the younger generation must first go to their parents to greet them, and then go to the home of friends and relatives to pay their respects. It is customary to eat rice cake soup, which is called "Ojako" in Japanese. On New Year's Day, a straw rope or a circle made of straw is pulled up above the entrance of each house and is called a "kirin rope" or "kirin decoration. Some also put some pine and bamboo, called "door pine". Many company buildings and street entrances are built with pine, bamboo and plum with a novel design, unique pagoda, to celebrate. People will also be cranes, turtles and other symbols of longevity of animal paper cutouts pasted inside and outside the home, praying for peace. At the same time, they also carved a yearly portrait according to the twelve Chinese zodiac signs and gave them to each other. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications also issues a large number of "Lunar New Year stamps" with the symbols of the year on them. Giving New Year's cards to each other, both individually and as a group, has become the most popular form of congratulation, and the Japanese call it "kite-flying," a gesture of deep affection. The person who receives the most New Year's cards is especially happy to feel that the new year is going to be a good one and that he or she is going to have good luck and good fortune. In the New Year, the custom of paying New Year's greetings to neighbors, relatives and friends, and children is still prevalent. The first thing they say when they meet is "Congratulations on the New Year". "Red and White Song Contest" - the Japanese "Spring Festival Gala"
2. Flying kites and playing springboard
On New Year's Day in Korea, the whole family, in addition to reunions and dinners, also performs activities such as rituals and prayers. Most boys go kite-flying while girls go skipping.
3. Britain - predict the fate of the "first foot"
In Britain, the New Year's Day of the Gregorian calendar is not as grand as Christmas, but in the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, or according to local customs to carry out a variety of celebratory activities to show that the old and welcome the new. Send the old to welcome the new. British late at night on New Year's Eve, people often bring cakes and wine to go out to visit friends and relatives. They do not knock on the door, they walked straight into the home of friends and relatives. The person who steps into the house with the first foot predicts the owner's good or bad luck in the new year. If the person who steps into the first foot is a happy, blessed, rich person, the owner will be lucky for the whole year; if it is a sad, unfortunate, poor person, the owner will be difficult and unlucky in the new year. They also tend to predict their fate in the new year based on the first letter of the visitor's name. Before talking to friends and relatives, the fire in the fireplace to rattle, symbolizing the "open door". Some British people have the habit of "keeping the New Year's Eve", sitting around the house on New Year's Eve until the church bells ring and then collectively go to pray. People sing the New Year's Eve song, dance around the fire with the earth wind, completely joyful until dawn. On New Year's Eve, every family must have wine in the bottle and meat in the cupboard. This is because they say that if there is no meat or wine left over, they will be poor in the coming year. In addition, Britain is also popular New Year's "well water" custom, people are striving to be the first to go to the water, that the first water man for the happiness of the people, to hit the water is auspicious water.
4. Germany - "jump into the New Year"
In Germany, since ancient times, there has been a custom: on New Year's Eve, men gathered together, drinking, playing cards until midnight. At twelve o'clock, they jump onto tables and chairs, and when the bell rings, they jump down one by one, saying they are "jumping into" the New Year, followed by throwing sticks to mark the end of the old year.
In the countryside, there is a traditional tree-climbing competition. Each village chooses a straight, tall tree and cuts off its branches. Early in the morning on New Year's Day, in the race to choose more than a dozen as high as a few feet of bald trees, young men along the bare trunk race to climb high, who first climbed to the top of the tree is the winner, known as "New Year's hero" to show that step by step. In addition, the German people in the New Year's Day band, through the street parade to play, to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
5. Spain - eat twelve grapes
Spanish people before New Year's Eve to set up roadblocks, put animal traps, digging a good trap, in order to deal with the New Year's Eve down to the devil. On New Year's Eve, the whole family gets together to have fun. When the church bell rings at midnight, everyone competes to eat grapes. If you can eat twelve grapes according to the sound of the bell, it symbolizes that all twelve months of the new year will go smoothly. In addition, they believe that children fighting, cursing or crying on New Year's Day is an ominous sign. Therefore, parents have to fulfill almost all the requests of their children on this day in order to make them happy.
6. United States - burning old things, singing and dancing
On New Year's Eve in the United States, people have bonfires outside. At twelve o'clock at night, everyone throws old things into the fire and burns them, and sings and dances around the fire, reveling until dawn.
7. Canada - building a snow wall to keep out demons
Canadians see snow as a symbol of good luck. Instead of clearing the snow around their houses, they pile it up around their houses and build a wall of snow when the New Year comes. They believe that this snow wall can prevent the invasion of monsters and evil demons, and at the same time will bring happiness and joy.
France: to celebrate the New Year with wine, people from New Year's Eve began to binge drinking, until January 3 to end. The French believe that the weather on New Year's Day is indicative of the new year. Early in the morning on New Year's Day, they went out on the street to look at the wind to divine: blowing the south wind, the omen of wind and rain, the year will be safe and hot; blowing the west wind, there is a fishing and milking of the harvest; blowing the east wind, the fruit will be high; blowing the north wind, it is a bad year.
Switzerland: the Swiss have the habit of fitness on New Year's Day, they have groups of people to climb the mountain, standing at the top of the mountain in the face of ice and snow, singing loudly about the good life; some in the mountains along the long snowy road skiing, as if looking for the road to happiness; some held stilt walking competitions, men and women, old and young, wish each other a healthy body. To fitness to meet the arrival of the new year.
Greece: on New Year's Day, every family has to make a big cake, in which to put a silver coin. The master will cut the cake into pieces, divided into family members or visiting friends and relatives. Whoever eats the piece of cake with the silver coin will be the luckiest person in the New Year, and everyone will congratulate him.
Romania: On the eve of New Year's Day, people erected tall Christmas trees and set up a stage in the square. Citizens burned fireworks while singing and dancing. Rural people pull wooden plows decorated with all kinds of colorful flowers to celebrate the New Year.
Britain: the day before New Year's Day, every family must do the bottle of wine, meat in the cupboard. The British believe that if there is no remaining meat and wine, the next year will be poor. In addition, the British are also popular New Year's "well water" custom, people are fighting to be the first to go to the water, that the first water for the happy people, hit the water is auspicious water. British late at night on New Year's Eve, often with cakes and wine out to visit, they do not knock on the door, they walked straight into the home of friends and relatives. According to English custom, after the thousandth night of New Year's Eve, the person who steps into the house with the first foot heralds the luck of the new year. If the first guest is a dark-haired man, or a happy, happy and wealthy person, the host will be lucky all year round. If the first guest is a woman with light yellow hair, or a sad, poor, unfortunate person, the host will have bad luck in the new year, and will encounter difficulties and disasters. New Year's Eve in the home of friends and family guests, before talking to the fireplace before the fire, to rattle the fire, wish the host "open the door to good luck. In some areas of the British Midlands, New Year's morning out, regardless of acquaintances or strangers, will send each other copper, they believe that this, not only each other a year of fortune, but also will bring their own luck.
India: India's New Year's Day is known as "crying New Year's Day", "fasting New Year's Day". On the first day of the New Year, no one is allowed to be angry with anyone, and even more so, no one is allowed to lose their temper. In some places, not only do not celebrate the New Year, but also hugged each other and cried. They believe that once New Year's Day begins, the years will pass easily - life is short - and they express their lamentation by crying. In some areas, people welcome the new year by fasting for a day and a night, from the early hours of New Year's Day until midnight.
Brazil: Brazilians flock to the mountains on New Year's Day, holding torches high. People scramble to find the golden birch fruit that symbolizes happiness. Only those who are not afraid of danger can find this rare fruit. They call it the "search for happiness". Brazilian villages have a unique custom - is to pull each other's ears, people meet on New Year's Day, must pull each other's ears, to express blessings.
Argentina: the day of January, families have to go to the river for the "New Year's bath". Into the water before the first collection of flowers scattered on the river, and then, everyone jumped into the water with a smile to enjoy the bath, while using the petals to rub the body, in this country, the water is regarded as "holy" things.
Cuba: the night before New Year's Day, each person to prepare a bowl of water, heard the New Year's bell, everyone quickly splashed the water to the street, meaning "in addition to the New Year"
Colombia: on the eve of New Year's Day, the streets are made of very large puppets - the "old year". "the old year", and announced "the old year last words", "last words" of the content of the funny and interesting, to win people happy, at midnight will be "puppets
Japan: Japanese people in the early morning of New Year's Day, the family went out on the street to meet the rising sun, and then go to the shrine to worship, or to each other to friends and relatives to say hello. They call New Year's Day "Shoichi". On this day, they have a rich breakfast of sugar carrots, buckwheat noodles, and soba noodles, and drink Tusu wine. Thereafter, a series of three days to eat vegetarian, to show piety, pray for good luck in the coming year.
Thailand: Thailand's traditional New Year, that is, "Songkran" ("Songkran" is the translation of Sanskrit), also known as the "Water Festival", the festival, people sprinkle each other, smiling and wishing their elders good luck. During the festival, people sprinkle water on each other and wish their elders a long and healthy life and their friends and relatives a lucky New Year with smiles on their faces. Unmarried young men and women use water to express their love for each other. Thai people on the first day of the New Year in the window sill, the door put a pot of water, pray for the New Year, the wind and rain.
Germany: Germans in the New Year's Day, every family should be set up a fir tree and horizontal tree, the leaves tied full of silk flowers, said the flowers like brocade, spring full of people. They are in the midnight of New Year's Eve New Year's Day before the moment, climbed to the chair, the bell rang, they jumped out of the chair, and will be a heavy object thrown behind the chair back, to show that throw off the scourge of the New Year, jump into the New Year. In the German countryside is also circulating a New Year's custom - "climbing tree race" to show that the step by step.
Egypt: Egyptians take the Nile River rise this day as the beginning of the New Year, known as the "rising water New Year. In some parts of Egypt, on New Year's Day, the grains of crops such as soybeans, lentils, alfalfa and wheat, as well as some small shoots of green plants, to symbolize abundance. The more you offer to the gods, the more harvests you will have in the New Year.
North Korea: Like our country, North Korea has the custom of sticking window flowers and peach symbols on New Year's Day to pray for heaven's blessing, drive away ghosts and monsters, and bestow happiness. At dawn on New Year's Day, people stuffed some bills into the pre-tied scarecrows and threw them to the crossroads, indicating that they sent away evil and greeted the lucky lucky star. At dusk, people burn the hair of the whole family that has fallen off during the year, wishing the family peace in all seasons. During the New Year, the North Koreans in addition to enjoy the wine and food, but also must do a kind of glutinous rice with pine nuts, chestnut powder, date paste and honey, steamed into our country's eight treasures similar to the sweet rice to eat, in order to herald the family's prosperous days as sweet as honey.
Singapore: Lunar New Year's Eve, the children have the habit of observing the New Year's Eve, until midnight to be parents to worship the gods and ancestors of the end of the activities before they can go to bed, the next day early in the morning is to get up early, happy from the elders to take the "red packet" (New Year's Eve money) to see the dragon dance, lion dance team along the street, men and women dressed in festive costumes, bring gifts to visit friends and family. Men, women and children dressed in festive costumes, bring gifts to visit friends and relatives, everyone's face is filled with a festive atmosphere. On New Year's Day, people love to eat sweet rice cakes made of fried glutinous rice and brown sugar.
Italy: New Year's Eve in Italy is a night of revelry, when the night begins to fall, thousands of people flocked to the streets, lighting firecrackers and fireworks, and even fired live ammunition. Men and women dance until midnight. Families pack up old things, some of the house can be broken things, wrestling a shattered, old pots, bottles and cans are thrown to the door, said to go away bad luck and trouble, this is their traditional way of saying goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year.
Iran: Iran's implementation of the Islamic calendar, its seasons and months are not fixed. In Iran, to celebrate the New Year is to celebrate the arrival of spring, often in late March of the calendar, the New Year to celebrate a week of grand celebrations. People flock to the streets to build "bonfires" - "night fire", and then the whole family in turn from the night fire jumping around, indicating that the burning away of "bad luck "and usher in the light to drive away evil spirits and diseases, and happiness lasts forever. New Year's Eve to eat "seven dishes", the name of each dish should start with the letter "S", for good luck. From the first to the third day of the New Year, people visit friends and relatives to wish each other a happy Spring Festival. On the last day of the New Year, the whole family goes on a trek to avoid evil.
The world is big, there is nothing strange, the countries of the Spring Festival customs are indeed some very unexpected, a lot of strange and bizarre Spring Festival customs.
Mongolia: the arrival of the new year, Mongolia, the old man will dress up like a shepherd, wearing a plush leather jacket, head wearing a leather cap, hand holding a whip, and constantly whip the whip in the air snapped, in order to show that the blessing of the custom of the evil spirits.
Pakistan: on New Year's Day, Pakistani people run out of the door with a red powder in each hand, see friends and relatives, said the new hi, they will be coated with each other in the red powder on the forehead, in order to show that the celebration of the New Year good luck and good luck, the countries of the Chinese New Year customs are indeed very different.
Afghanistan: residents in the northern region of Afghanistan, every New Year's Day will be held in a fierce competition to grab the goat to celebrate. Two teams of riders compete for the prey, the game is both intense and fierce, but also festive and joyful.
Argentina: Argentines believe that water is the most holy. On New Year's Day every year, the families of young and old in groups to the river to wash the "New Year's bath" to wash away all the dirt on the body.
Mexico: Mexico in some areas of the people in the New Year is prohibited to laugh, they **** a year divided into 18 months, 20 days a month, the last 5 days of the year are not allowed to laugh, this Spring Festival custom is indeed different.
Bulgaria: New Year's Day meal, who sneezes who quasi will bring happiness to the whole family, the head of the family will be the first sheep, cattle or foal promised to him to wish him to bring happiness to the whole family.
Paraguay: the Paraguayan people the last five days of the year as "cold food day". In these five days, from the head of state, down to the ordinary people, can not move fireworks, only eat cold food, until New Year's Day, you can make a fire to cook, to celebrate the festivities.
Scotland: Scottish people on New Year's Eve, households will put some money in front of the door, unguarded, thieves and beggars in the evening, saw the immovable parts. Because of local custom, the eve of the New Year, the first money outside the door, the next day, the New Year's Eve, early in the morning when you open the door, you will see the door with money, to take its "wealth at first sight" meaning.
Spain: Spaniards in the new year and the eve of all family members are gathered together to celebrate with music and games. Midnight comes, twelve o'clock clock clock just started to ring the first ring, everyone will compete to eat grapes. If a person can eat 12 grapes according to the bell, he or she symbolizes that everything will go well in every month of the New Year. On New Year's Day, it is most taboo for children to curse, fight and cry, as these phenomena are considered bad omens. Therefore, on New Year's Day, adults always try to meet all the requirements of children. At the same time, this day people must carry a gold or copper coin to show good luck.
Belgium: In Belgium, on the morning of New Year's Day, the first thing to do in the countryside is to pay tribute to the animals. People go to the cows, horses, sheep, dogs, cats and other animals, the fuss to these living beings, "Happy New Year!"
Turkey: Turks in the New Year's Eve, everyone should take a bath, and then put on new clothes, they believe that this can be removed from the past year's bad luck, to get rid of the old and welcome the new, to welcome the good luck of the next year.