Lucky charms & Co. on New Year's Eve

In Spain, twelve grapes are eaten at midnight - one with each of the twelve clock bell strikes. According to the tradition, eating the twelve grapes leads to a year of good luck and prosperity. In the Czech Republic, an apple is cut in half and the future is predicted from the shape of the core. If the seeds form a cross, bad things are coming; stars represent luck. In China, houses and apartments are cleaned well before New Year's Eve and the windows are opened an hour before midnight so that luck finds its way into the clean house and stays there.

In Scotland and northern England, the first person to enter a house after midnight on New Year's Day is seen as a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. That sounds simple. But, a tall, dark-haired man is preferred. He is expected to bring symbolic gifts, including a silver coin, shortbread, salt, coal, and a drink, usually whisky. They represent prosperity, food, flavor, warmth for the house, and good cheer.

Fireworks or firecrackers? They all serve to generate light and noise, which in the past primarily served to drive away evil spirits. Our ancestors turned pots and pans into drums, on which they beat - or broke crockery. The latter is still done in Rome today. On December 31 at midnight, some Romans throw out the window old things (usually crockery) to ward off bad luck. For car owners, this means looking for a sheltered parking spot in good time. Garbage collectors, on the other hand, have a lot of work on January 1.

In Brazil, people love the bean stew feijoada around the turn of the year, in Italy and Hungary lentil dishes, and in parts of Germany sauerkraut. They are all supposed to ensure that money never runs out in the new year. In Greece, they bake St. Basil's bread, in which coins are hidden. Anyone who finds them at midnight may have to go to the dentist but will be lucky in financial matters in the new year.

There are several New Year's Eve customs for women who want to find love in the new year. In China, for example, unmarried women throw tangerines into the sea in the hope of attracting the right partner. In Spain, Italy, Chile, and Brazil, on the other hand, unmarried women are given red lingerie in December. When they wear them on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, they are supposed to bring the wearer not only happiness and health, but above all great LOVE.

By the way: in case of bad predictions, you can simply turn yourself around. Then bad shall turn into good! It's as simple as that. We wish everyone a Happy New Year!