In the Philippines, welcoming the new year means reveling in raucous parties, displaying 12 round fruits on the table and wearing polka-dotted clothes, among other traditions believed to bring good luck. People from other countries might find some of our practices bizarre, but there are many other idiosyncratic customs from other cultures that make ours pale in comparison. Here are eight of them:
Brazil
On New Year’s Eve, people wear special underwear as it is thought to be lucky. Most people go for red for love, white for peace or yellow for money. This is also practiced in other Central and South American countries.
Finland
To predict what’s in store for them in the coming year, the Finnish people cast molten tin into a container with water and wait for it to harden. The shape the metal takes is then interpreted—a heart or ring means a wedding, a pig means an abundance of food, and a ship means travel.
Panama
In Panama, it is customary to burn effigies of well-known people such as TV personalities and political figures. The effigy is meant to represent the year that was.
Colombia
Supposed to guarantee a year filled with travel, running around the block while carrying empty suitcases is common in Colombia.
Scotland
First-footing is practiced across Scotland. The first foot, or the first person to cross the threshold of a home is the bringer of good fortune and should carry a gift for luck. People also hold bonfire ceremonies where they parade and swing giant fireballs to purify the coming year.
Denmark
The Danes break old crockery on the doorsteps of family and friends to banish bad spirits. The more shards there are outside your home, the luckier you are. Another Danish tradition to leap into the new year is standing on chairs and jumping off them together at midnight.
Greece
On New Year’s Eve, the Greeks like to hang onions on their front doors to symbolize rebirth in the new year. On Jan. 1, parents wake their children by tapping them on the head with the onion that they hung.
Spain
In Spain on New Year’s Eve, residents eat 12 grapes—for good luck in the next 12 months—at each stroke of the clock at midnight. People also gather in main squares to eat their grapes together and share bottles of cava.