NEW YEAR
AROUND THE WORLD
In Japan,
herald the New Year
Cleansing
sins of previous year
With bell
ringing 108 times
One for each
of human sins
In China,
Paint the door red
Happiness
and good fortune heralds
Knives they
hide, lest they may harm
For the luck
of family safety
Circles
sacred in Philippines
People wear
something with dots
They toss
coin into pans
Eating round
fruits
Brings them
prosperity
In Siberia
and Russia
Dive into
frozen lake
Hold tree trunk under ice
Burmese
splash water on one another
Marks a
beginning with purified soul
In
Singapore, release your hopes
Wishes
written on to white spheres
Into
Singapore river
In Armenia, bake
special bread
In to it wishes and luck kneed
In Russia,
write down a wish
Burn it and
toss into champagne
Drink
champagne before 12.01
In Belaruse,
rooster chooses from a pile set
Which of
the unmarried woman will marry first
In Greece,
an onion is hung on front door
In the morn
wake up children with tap of onion on head
In Finland,
tin is melted and poured into water
When
solidified, predicts the new year
In Estonia,
people eat 7,9,12 times
Marks
plentiful ahead
In Romania,
communicate with animals
South
Africans throw their old appliances
threw window out
In Turkey,
open the door and throw salt water
peace
and abundance to home giver
in Czech,
cut an apple
shape of the
core will foretell
in Austria
pigs are sign of good luck
they feast on pigs, or give gifts of chocolates
in Denmark, break the crockery
on neighbor’s door
In France,
eat crepes
Kissing
beneath the mistletoe
As the clock
strikes midnight
In Germany,
eat donuts filled with jam or liquor
In Venice,
mass kissing session
In
Macedonia, second new year eve
On 14
January of the New year
Children
receive presents
In Spain, 12
grapes with twelve chimes of the clock
In England,
kiss at mid night
Tones
relationship
In
Switzerland, drop dollop of cream on floor
In Panama,
effigies of politicians and other famous people burnt
To mark the
burning of evil of the year
And ward off
spirits of approaching year
In New York,
watch the New Year ball drop at Times square
In Columbia to mark a travel year
Carry suit
case on night of 31 December
In Argentina
wear a pink underwear
Will attract
love in New Year
Eating beans
means progress in job
In Chile , visit the graveyard
Pay respect
to deceased relatives close to heart
In Bolivia
wear yellow under ware
Increases
fortune aware
In Canada,
polar bear swim
Jump into
freezing waters of English Bay
In Denmark
climb a chair and jump
Brings good
luck
In Thailand
throw a bucket of water
Smear with
grey talk
In Brazil,
throw white flowers into ocean
Goddess of
sea will see your wishes come through
In Soth
America, wear colorful under wears
Red means
love, gold means wealth
White means
peace
In India
watch the colorful scenes
And pray to
lord for good times
Health,
wealth and happiness
K.S.V.SESHADRI
