Yellow Underwear, Broken China, and Other Unique Ways to Ring in the New Year

Want to start your new year off with a bang? Try one of these unique international customs.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on December 30 2009

All over the world, the start of a new year is considered a time to take stock of your life – to think about what you can leave behind, and what dreams are still unfulfilled. Here in the United States, many of us write up lists of resolutions that we never end up keeping, and, at the stroke of midnight, hope we have someone to welcome us into the new year with a kiss. But many other countries have their own fascinating customs to face the changing year, including everything from wearing yellow underwear to burning junk-filled dolls. Here are a few unique international customs you may want to try –as long as you’ve got the frequent flier miles for it.

In South American countries including Ecuador and Colombia, make sure to stock up on matches – it’s time to burn all your bad memories away. To celebrate the New Year, families buy life-sized male dolls, which can be stuffed with whatever (non-toxic) junk you’re ready to ditch, and dressed in a family member’s old clothing. Then, let the bonfire begin: The burning of the so-called “Mr. Old Year” is a way to symbolically erase the pain of the past year, and to welcome the next year with a clean slate.

Fire is also a major theme in a Scottish celebration called Hogmanay, which sometimes includes an ancient custom known as “burning the clavie,” in which barrels of tar are set alight. In the town of Burghead, the burning barrels are carried through the village, up to the ruins of a Roman altar. When the barrels break into pieces, the villagers scramble to bring pieces of burning wood back to their houses, using the flames to light the fires in their chimneys. The resulting pieces of charcoal are put to good use as well – townspeople put them in their chimneys as good luck charms, intended to ward off evil spirits.

Another ritual associated with the Hogmanay festival in Scotland is “first footing,” in which neighbors go from door to door with gifts, in an effort to be the first visitor to a house in the new year. According to legend, the first visitor sets the tone for the year to come – so, as far as the ladies are concerned, a visit from a tall, dark, and handsome man is a great blessing. (Not that they wouldn’t enjoy it the rest of the year, too.)

In Venezuela and Peru, if you’re hoping to meet the love of your life, there’s one fashion necessity: Wear yellow underwear on New Year’s Eve. The colorful underthings are also thought to attract good luck and positive energy. If you venture into Mexico, however, bring a change of clothes – red is the color of choice there.

And finally, if you happen to be heading up to Scandinavia for the start of the New Year, you’re in for a bash of a celebration – literally. In Denmark, it’s customary to hoard old, unwanted plates all year long. On New Year’s Eve, haul them out and head over to your friends’ houses, where you can smash the plates into their front doors. Yes, it sounds a bit destructive, but strange as it seems, the more broken plates you find on your doorstep in the morning, the more friends you have, according to local custom. Sounds like a perfect way to let out that pent-up holiday aggression – but just be careful not to break any windows on your New Year’s rampage, or you may not have any friends left in the morning.

So, whether you spend your New Year’s Eve lighting bonfires or breaking dishes, or go with the tried-and-true combo of a bottle of bubbly and a Dick Clark countdown, we hope you get a great start to 2010. And if it isn’t so spectacular, just stock up on the yellow undies and the ugly chinaware – there’s always next year.

Filed under: Features, General Interest, History, Weird,

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