New Year’s Eve is either an exciting holiday, or a stressful ordeal. Some people are very happy to begin their New Year, being fresh and optimistic about what it may bring. On the other end, others could be stressed about the New Year and what it may bring for them.
Many people this New Year’s Eve, myself included, tried out new ways to ensure our year would be full of luck, happiness, and tranquility. When reading this article, maybe you could adopt a new tradition for yourself!
Personally, I ate twelve grapes under the table in under a minute. With every grape, you’re supposed to wish for a different thing as you chew them. While I wasn’t able to actually eat all twelve in under a minute, I was pretty confused about this tradition as I’d never heard nor done it before, so I decided to do some research.
It turns out the twelve grape tradition originated in Spain in the 1800s and 1900s. The twelve grapes are supposed to represent luck for all twelve months of the year. The specifics of the tradition depend on the region you’re in and what you’ve heard from others. Whether your intentions are for love, luck, or to ward off negative energy throughout the year, the tradition is all based on what you wish for the year, and there’s nothing wrong with interpreting it in your own way.
Besides the twelve grapes tradition, my family and I have just watched the ball drop in New York Times Square for as long as I can remember, and after asking some of my friends, that’s a pretty common tradition.
The Times Square ball drop started in 1907 to welcome in 1908, organized by Adolph Ochs, then-owner of the New York Times. Since then, the celebration has evolved, including five different balls being constructed, each getting more and more extravagant. Live performances have also since been intertwined with the program. This year, it was Megan Thee Stallion, Sabrina Carpenter, Tyla, Jelly Roll, and Paul Anka, but every year the artists who perform are different.
Another tradition my family partakes in is eating black eyed peas and cabbage for our first meal on New Year’s for good health and good fortune. The tradition is said to have originated in the south, particularly Vicksburg, Virginia, when the town ran out of food while under siege. Luckily, the townsfolk found black eyed peas. As for the cabbage, the tradition apparently originates in Eastern Europe, and eating cabbage rolls is considered very lucky. This is just one of the many traditions that involve eating lucky foods!
A few other common traditions include kissing at midnight, to “keep kissing the person you hope to keep kissing”, setting off fireworks to welcome in the New Year. As well as wearing a certain underwear color to ensure love, luck or peace. Wearing white, opening your windows and doors to let the old year out, and cleaning your house thoroughly to remove bad experiences from the previous year.
These were just a few of the hundreds of New Year’s traditions that people celebrate, but hopefully one (or more) of these traditions caught your eye!
