Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Weather inquiry - Which countries also celebrate the New Year? The similarities and differences between their customs during the Spring Festival and ours.

Which countries also celebrate the New Year? The similarities and differences between their customs during the Spring Festival and ours.

In the new year, although the time is slightly different in various countries around the world, similar to the Chinese New Year, which is the Spring Festival of the lunar calendar, there are also those who use the 1st day of the first lunar month as the New Year, but the Spring Festival customs in various countries The expressions are different. Mongolia: When the new year comes, Mongolian old men will dress up like shepherds, wearing a plush leather coat and a fur hat. They will hold a whip in their hands and keep cracking the whip in the air. It is a custom to show blessings to ward off evil spirits. Pakistan: On New Year's Day, people in Pakistan run out with red powder in their hands. When they meet relatives and friends, say good luck, they apply red powder on each other's foreheads to celebrate the good luck in the new year. The Spring Festival customs in different countries are indeed very different. Afghanistan: Residents in northern Afghanistan hold a fierce goat-robbing competition every New Year's Day to celebrate. Two teams of riders compete for prey. The competition is both intense and festive. Argentina: Argentines believe that water is the most holy. Every New Year's Day, families of all ages gather in groups to take a "New Year bath" in the river to wash away all the filth on their bodies. Mexico: People in some areas of Mexico are forbidden to laugh when the New Year comes. They divide the year into 18 months, with 20 days in each month. They are not allowed to laugh during the last 5 days of the year. This Spring Festival custom is indeed unique. Bulgaria: During the New Year's Day meal, whoever sneezes will definitely bring happiness to the whole family. The head of the family promises him the first sheep, cow or foal in the hope that he will bring happiness to the whole family. Paraguay: The Paraguayans designate the last five days of each year as "cold food days". During these five days, no one from the head of state to ordinary people can use fireworks and can only eat cold food. It is not until New Year's Day that they can light a fire to cook and celebrate the festival. Scotland: On New Year's Eve, Scots will leave some money in front of every house without anyone guarding it. Thieves and beggars will not do anything if they see it on this night. Because of the local custom, on New Year's Eve, money is first placed outside the door. When the New Year comes the next day, when you open the door early in the morning, you will see money at the door, which means "getting rich at first sight". Spain: In Spain, on the eve of the Yuan Dynasty, all family members gather together to celebrate with music and games. As midnight approaches and the clock strikes twelve o'clock for the first time, everyone is scrambling to eat grapes. If you can eat 12 Jiaguo according to the sound of the bell, it symbolizes everything goes well for each 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 to be bad omens. Therefore, adults always try to meet all the children's requirements on New Year's Day. At the same time, people must carry a gold or copper coin with them on this day to show good luck. Belgium: In Belgium, on the morning of New Year’s Day, the first thing in the countryside is to pay New Year greetings to the animals. People go to cows, horses, sheep, dogs, cats and other animals, and say to these creatures in a serious way: "Happy New Year!" Turkey: On New Year's Eve in Turkey, everyone has to take a bath and then put on new clothes. They believe that This can get rid of the bad energy of the past year, get rid of the old and welcome the new, and welcome good luck in the coming year. The world is so big that it is full of wonders. The Spring Festival customs in various countries are indeed very unexpected, and there are many strange and weird Spring Festival customs. Argentina: On the first day of the first lunar month, every household goes to the river to take a "New Year's bath". Before entering the water, the flowers collected were scattered on the river. Then, everyone jumped into the water and bathed happily, while rubbing their bodies with flower petals. In this country, water is regarded as a "holy" thing. Cuba: On the eve of New Year's Day, everyone prepares a bowl of water. When the New Year's bell rings, everyone quickly pours water into the street, which means "New Year's Eve". Colombia: On New Year's Eve, large ones are made on every street. Puppet - "Old New Year", and announced the "last words of the old year". The content of the "last words" was funny and humorous to make people happy. The "puppet" was blown up at midnight. In the explosion that shattered the "puppet" of the old year, People sang and danced and celebrated each other. Japan: In the early morning of New Year's Day, Japanese families take to the streets to greet the rising sun, and then go to shrines to pay homage, or to say hello to each other's relatives and friends. They call New Year's Day "the first day". On this day, they have a hearty breakfast, eating sugar squid, buckwheat noodles, etc., and drinking Tusu wine. After that, they eat vegetarian food for three consecutive days to show their piety and pray for good luck in the coming year. Thailand: Thailand's traditional New Year is the "Songkran Festival" ("Songkran" is the transliteration of Sanskrit), also called the "Water Splashing Festival". During the festival, people sprinkle water on each other and happily wish their elders health and longevity, and wish their relatives and friends good luck in the new year. Unmarried young men and women splash water to express their love for each other. On the first day of the new year, Thai people put a basin of water on the window sill or at the door to pray for good luck and good weather in the new year. Germany: During New Year's Day, Germans put up a fir tree or a horizontal tree in every household, with silk flowers tied between the leaves, which means that the world is full of flowers and spring. They climb on the chairs just before the New Year arrives at midnight on New Year's Eve. When the bell rings, they jump off the chairs and throw a heavy object behind the chair to show that they are throwing away the disaster and jumping into the New Year. There is also a New Year custom spread in rural areas of Germany - "Tree Climbing Competition" to show that you will rise higher and higher. Egypt: The Egyptians regard the day when the Nile River rises as the beginning of the New Year, which is called "High Water New Year". In some places in Egypt, on New Year's Day, grains from crops such as soybeans, lentils, alfalfa and wheat are served, as well as small buds of green plants to symbolize abundance. The more you give to God, the greater your harvest will be in the new year.

North Korea: Like our country, North Korea also has the custom of posting window grilles and peach charms during the New Year to pray for God’s blessing, drive away ghosts, and grant happiness. At the dawn of New Year's Day, people stuff some banknotes into pre-tied scarecrows and throw them at the crossroads, which means sending away evil and welcoming good fortune. At dusk, people burn off the hair that the family has lost throughout the year, wishing their families peace all year round. During the New Year, in addition to enjoying fine wine and delicacies, North Koreans must also cook a sweet rice made of glutinous rice, pine nuts, chestnut powder, date paste and honey, which is similar to the eight-treasure rice in our country. Prosperous days are as sweet as honey. Singapore: On Lunar New Year's Eve, children have the habit of staying up until midnight to wait for their parents' activities to worship gods and ancestors before going to bed. They get up early the next morning and happily receive "red envelopes" from their elders ( New Year's money) to watch the dragon and lion dance teams perform along the street. Men, women, old and young dressed in festive costumes and brought gifts to visit relatives and friends. Everyone's face was filled with a festive atmosphere. During the Chinese New Year, people love to eat sweet rice cakes made of fried glutinous rice and brown sugar. Italy: New Year's Eve in Italy is a carnival night. When night falls, thousands of people flock to the streets, light firecrackers and fireworks, and even fire live ammunition. Men and women dance until midnight. Every household packs up old things, smashes some breakable things in the house, and throws all the old pots, bottles and cans outside the door, which means getting rid of bad luck and troubles. This is their traditional way of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new year. Iran: Iran implements the Islamic calendar, and its seasons and months are not fixed. In Iran, celebrating the New Year means celebrating the arrival of spring, which is usually in late March of the Gregorian calendar. The New Year is celebrated grandly for a week. People flock to the streets to light "bonfires" - "night fires", and then the whole family jumps up and down on the night fire one after another, which means burning away "bad luck", ushering in light, driving away evil spirits and diseases, and lasting happiness. There are "seven dishes" to be eaten on New Year's Eve, and the name of each dish must start with the letter "S" to show good luck. From the first to the third day of the lunar month, people visit relatives and friends and wish each other a happy Spring Festival. On the last day of the new year, the whole family goes on an outing to avoid evil. France: Celebrate the New Year with wine. People start partying and drinking from New Year’s Eve until January 3. The French believe that the weather on New Year's Day heralds the coming of the new year. On the early morning of New Year's Day, they go to the streets to check the direction of the wind and predict fortunes: if the south wind blows, it will be a good year, and the year will be safe and hot; if the west wind blows, there will be a good harvest for fishing and milking; if the east wind blows, there will be a high yield of fruits; if it blows north, it will be a good year. If the wind blows, it will be a bad harvest year. Switzerland: Swiss people have the habit of doing fitness on New Year's Day. Some of them go hiking in groups, stand on the top of the mountain facing the ice and snow, and sing loudly about the wonderful life; some ski along the long snow trails in the mountains and forests, as if they are looking for The road to happiness; some hold stilt-walking competitions, with men, women, old and young taking part to wish each other good health. Welcome the new year with fitness. Greece: On New Year's Day, every family will make a big cake with a silver coin inside. The host cuts the cake into several pieces and distributes them to family members or visiting relatives and friends. Whoever eats the piece of cake with the silver coin will become the luckiest person in the New Year, and everyone congratulates him. Romania: On New Year’s Eve, people put up tall Christmas trees and set up a stage in the square. The citizens lit up fireworks and sang and danced. Rural people pull wooden plows decorated with various colorful flowers to celebrate the New Year. UK: On the day before New Year's Day, every household must have wine in the bottle and meat in the cupboard. The British believe that if there is no food and wine left, they will be poor in the coming year. In addition, there is also a popular custom in the United Kingdom of "drawing water from the well" during the New Year. People strive to be the first to draw water. They believe that the first person to draw water is a happy person and the water drawn is auspicious water. British people often bring cakes and wine to visit late at night on New Year's Eve. They go straight into the homes of relatives and friends without knocking on the door. According to British custom, the person who takes the first step into the house after a thousand nights on New Year's Eve heralds luck in the new year. If the first guest is a dark-haired man, or a happy, happy and wealthy person, the host will have good luck throughout the year. If the first guest is a woman with fair hair, or a sad, poor, or unfortunate person, the host will have bad luck and encounter difficulties and disasters in the new year. People who are guests at the homes of relatives and friends on New Year's Eve should first stir the fire in the fireplace and wish the host "good luck" before talking to each other. In some areas of central England, when going out on New Year's morning, no matter they are familiar with each other or strangers, they will give each other copper coins. They believe that doing so will not only bring wealth to the other party in the year, but also bring luck to themselves. India: New Year's Day in India is known as "New Year's Day of crying" and "New Year's Day of fasting". On the first day of the new year, no one is allowed to be angry with others, let alone lose their temper. In some places, instead of celebrating the New Year, people hug each other and cry. They believe that at the beginning of New Year's Day, time flies by - life is short, and they express their sighs by crying. People in some areas welcome the new year by fasting for a day and night, starting from the early morning of New Year's Day until midnight. Brazil: Brazilians hold torches high and flock to climb mountains on New Year's Day. People are rushing to find the golden birch fruit that symbolizes happiness. Only those who are not afraid of hardships can find this rare fruit. They call it "seeking blessings." There is a unique custom in rural Brazil - tugging each other's ears. When people meet on New Year's Day, they must tug each other's ears hard to express blessings.