From great balls of fire, to possums, grape-eating and animal whispering, we reveal the world’s weirdest New Year customs.
Great balls of fire, Scotland
In Stonehaven, Scotland, there is a custom of parading through the streets on New Year’s Eve while swinging blazing balls of fire around.
The tradition is part of Scotland’s Hogmanay celebrations, although its roots trace back to the Vikings.
Graveyard camp, Chile
Locals inTalca, central Chile, like to see in the new year in the company of their dead relatives. Thought to have begun when a family broke in one year to be near their dead father, the town mayor now opens the graveyard after late-night mass and thousands sit surrounded by candles while classical music plays.
Animal whispering, Romania
Farmers try to hear their animals talk in a ritual which, if successful, signifies not just a Doctor Dolittle gift for communicating with our furry relatives but good luck for the coming year.
Mass kissing, Venice
St Mark’s Square is known for holding not only a big firework display over the Basin of St. Mark but for something far more unusual, a mass kiss-in in the piazza.
Throwing furniture, South Africa
Look out below! It’s the idea of starting the new year afresh that leads residents of Johannesburg, those in Hillsboro in particular, to throw old furniture out of their windows. Italians follow a similar tradition and, not wanting to be lumbered with anything unwanted, conduct an early spring clean by way of their windows.
Underwater tree planting, Siberia
This is the Siberian custom of cutting a hole in the ice covering Lake Baikal and diving to the lake’s bottom while carrying a New Year’s tree. Note: only professional divers participate.
Bear dances, Romania
People wanting to celebrate new year in Romania put on bear costumes and furs and dance at different houses to keep evil at bay.
Possum-dropping, America
In the town of Brasstown, North Carolina, a possum in a transparent box is lowered over a noisy crowd, in the world’s only known “possum-drop”. It reflects Brasstown’s claim to be “the possum capital of the world”.
Grape eating, Spain
Revellers seeing in the new year in Spain have their mouths full when they try to stuff twelve grapes in - one for each chime of the clock during the countdown.
Having a ball, New York
In cities around the world, from Sydney to Amsterdam, the first seconds of the new year are marked by fireworks. But dropping a ball on New Year’s Eve is a wholly American tradition to count down the last fleeting moments.
The first ball dropped at midnight on New Year’s Eve remains the most famous: the one on top of One Times Square in New York City.
At this New Year’s Eve party, ’you shut up’
Here comes 2014! Three! … Two! … Mum.
While hundreds of thousands of revelers cheer, shout and yell in the new year in Times Square, hundreds of New Yorkers will gather not far away to pass the waning hours of 2013 without a word.
2013即将过去，2014马上到来。辞旧迎新少不了庆祝。从火球到接吻，从扔家具到吃葡萄，从西伯利亚到时代广场，让我们看看世界各地都有怎样的奇风异俗庆祝新年。
***苏格兰：大火球
苏格兰斯通黑文有个风俗，人们要在12月31日晚上手中挥舞着熊熊燃烧的火球走街串巷。这是苏格兰新年庆祝的传统之一，最早可追溯到维京人的文化。
***智利：墓地露营
在智利中部的塔尔卡镇，人们喜欢在墓地里和去世的亲属们共同庆祝新年的到来。镇长已经宣布开放坟地，民众深夜祈祷之后就可以前去和父辈们共迎新年。届时，当地人会点起蜡烛，播放古典音乐，期望阴阳两界人共同见证奇妙的时刻。
***罗马尼亚：听动物说话
罗马尼亚农民庆祝新年的方式十分特别。他们要努力听取自家饲养动物“说话”，如果真的弄明白其中的含义，新年就会有好运。
***威尼斯：集体接吻
新年来临之际，威尼斯居民不仅会在圣马可广场燃放烟花，也会聚集在那里集体接吻，让新年更加“有爱”。
***南非：扔家具
楼下的人小心了，约翰内斯堡人会在新年之际把旧家具从窗户里扔出去。在意大利也有这个风俗，不喜欢的家具就要扔掉，不想留在屋子里碍事，就当大扫除了。
***西伯利亚：水下植树
冰天雪地的西伯利亚有水下植树庆祝新年的风俗。当地人先在贝尔加湖冰面上凿一个洞，再带上一棵树游到水底种下去。这个风俗受益于于得天独厚的自然环境，当然，只有专业潜水员才能下水种树哦。
***罗马尼亚：舞熊
庆祝新年，中国有舞狮、舞龙，罗马尼亚会舞熊。罗马尼亚人穿上毛茸茸的制服，戴上熊头到各家跳舞。据说舞熊有驱邪功效。
***美国：放负鼠
在北卡罗来纳州布拉斯顿镇，人们有“放负鼠”庆新年的风俗。当地人把负鼠装在透明的盒子里，在喧闹的人群头顶上慢慢放下，这就是“放负鼠”。布拉斯顿自称“世界负鼠之都”。
***西班牙：吃葡萄
当凌晨12点新年钟声敲响的时候，西班牙人会随着钟声吃葡萄。每一次钟声就代表一颗葡萄。12次钟声过后，新年到来，人们嘴里也满满的塞了12个葡萄。
***纽约：新年水晶球
纽约时报广场每年都有新年水晶球倒数计时庆祝新年。12月31日晚上11点59分，水晶球会从20多米高处缓缓下降，上面还会显示数字，带领人群一起完成新年倒数。最早的水晶球1908年首次面世，有300多公斤重，上面安装有100个25瓦的电灯。
***纽约：沉默瑜伽
也有一些纽约人拒绝热闹，在瑜伽馆里用沉默庆祝新年。他们不必应付社交，不带礼物，不喝酒也不花钱，唯一的要求就是闭上嘴巴，坐下来在沉默中冥思。直到午夜时分，新年到来，人们才用梵语祈福。仅仅5公里之外，就是喧嚣的时报广场。
