Different countries and cultures celebrate the new year different ways. Many countries still follow the lunar , meaning that their new year often starts in January or in February. New Year celebrations for countries (like China, Vietnam, and Korea) last not day, but up to two weeks!
In the , many people attend or throw New Year parties. drink champagne, dance, and cheer at the stroke midnight. Men kiss women who happen to stand mistletoe. Fireworks, which in olden times scared away spirits, are very popular throughout the US, as are throughout much of the world. US residents make one or more New Year’s resolutions, such promising to quit smoking, lose weight, or stop . Most of these resolutions last little longer than month.
In the southern US, many people eat -eyed peas for good luck in the new year. Mexico and Venezuela, many people wear red or underwear for good luck. In Brazil, residents wear clothes for good luck, and in China, they red clothes and give children red envelopes with in them. In Iran, people wear brand new on the first day of the new year.
Scotland, homeowners open the front door at midnight let in the new year, and open the door to let out the old year. In , people kiss each other three times at midnight. Spain, people eat 12 grapes—one per chime—as the chimes midnight. In Japan, they ring a bell times to get rid of the 108 bad that people have. In Korea they ring a 33 times in honor of 33 ancient soldiers.
Colombia, families make a rag doll called “Mr. Year.” They dress it in old clothes and it with things that the family doesn’t want . Then at midnight, they set the doll on , to rid themselves of all the bad things the previous year.