How much do you know about New Year’s Eve traditions?
Here in the U.S., you know what to do: gather your friends and family, turn on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in the background, and count down from 10 as midnight nears. At the strike of the clock, you know to toast everyone as the fireworks blast off, sing a verse of “Auld Lang Syne,” and sneak in a New Year’s kiss, if you can!
But outside of the United States, did you know there are some much more quirky New Year’s Eve traditions? If you’re in Spain, for example, you’ll want to get 12 grapes ready to eat with each strike of the clock. In Turkey, make sure you have a few pomegranates ready to throw off your balcony for good luck.
To start your faux travels, we did some research into some of the bizarre New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day traditions around the world. While some of them might be outdated — or more of an old wives’ tale — they’re certainly interesting to learn!
Here’s what we found: