Somehow I missed the moment with the New Year, when it came to starting my resolutions, on Saturday 1st January. Then I completely missed the Russian New Year on Friday 14th January. But there is a third chance, the Chinese New Year on Tuesday 1st February. So I am going to make up for it! Because today is the new New Year’s Eve! Anyway, I have looked up some around-the-world traditions to ensure good luck and rolled them all the advice into a schedule.
To get the day off to an auspicious start, you will need to wake your children or other family members up by tapping them on the head with an onion (Greece). Then you will need to get washed and somehow manage to jump 7 waves of water and ideally scatter some flowers in it as well (Brazil). Next you will need to get dressed in white (Brazil). For breakfast, you will need to eat fruit, especially apples, dipped in honey (Israel). One task for your day will include some arts and crafts. You will need to make a large effigy of an unpopular well-known figure (Ecuador), for burning at the same time as your Christmas tree (the Netherlands). You will need to hold money in your hand (Colombia) and put lentils in your pocket (Colombia). 12 seconds before midnight, you will need to eat 12 grapes: one grape, for each second (Spain). As you take the last grape, you will need to jump off a chair (Denmark) and drop a plate (Denmark) with some ice cream on it to the floor (Switzerland), whilst holding an empty suitcase in your other hand (Colombia). And last but not least, you will need to either take that empty suitcase for a walk or leave it by your front door (Colombia).
Well, it’s time for me to explore reactions to some onion-tapping on foreheads then. By this evening, I should have a very much clearer idea which of the suitcase options I should choose and my plans for tomorrow. That might be interesting. I feel I am about to get to know my family that little better today, definitely. But I wonder if all these traditions will actually bring any good luck? Yes, No, Maybe.
