維布克·卡特

Eating grapes， wearing polka dots， or burning scarecrows might be weird New Year’s Eve traditions to some， but centuries-old customs to others.

While some customs like popping champagne， fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal， many countries have their own unique ways to celebrate. Follow us around the world with these New Year’s Eve traditions， make a wish， and have a happy new year！

Spain： Twelve grapes of luck

In Spain and some Latin American countries， one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes， one for each month of the coming year， to secure prosperity. Sounds easy？ Here’s the challenge： you need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The favored way is to take a bite， then swallow the grape halves whole. A glass of bubbly afterward might help to flush it all down. The tradition dates back to 1909 when vine growers in Alicante came up with this idea in order to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.

Mexico： Wear colorful undies

In Latin American countries like Mexico， Bolivia， and Brazil， the color of your panties will determine what kind of year you’ll have， so choose carefully！ Tradition holds that red will bring love and romance， and yellow leads to wealth and success. White stands for peace and harmony， while green signifies well-being and nature. In Turkey， red panties are also handed out as gifts for good luck and the promise of a fruitful new year.

Germany： Pouring lead

Who doesn’t want to know what the next year might bring？ In Germany， people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle， then pour the liquid into cold water. The bizarre shapes from the Bleigie?en （lead pouring） are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball， luck will roll one’s way， while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross signifies death and a star will bring happiness.

Denmark： Break a plate （or two）

A Danish New Year’s Eve tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning， the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year. In times of apartment and urban living though， it’s a dying tradition， but smashing fun for those who still practice it. Another custom in Denmark is the jumping off chairs at midnight， symbolizing the leap into the New Year when the clock strikes 12.

Ecuador： Scarecrow burning

In Ecuador， people build scarecrow-like dolls of politicians， pop stars， or other notable figures to set them alight. Burning the a?o viejo （old year） is meant to destroy all the bad things from the last year and cleanse for the new. The scarecrows are made from old clothes stuffed with newspaper or sawdust and a mask is fitted at the end. The Ecuadorian tradition possibly originated in Guayaquil in 1895 when a yellow fever epidemic hit the town， and coffins packed with clothes of the deceased were burnt for purification.

Philippines： Round food， round clothes， round everything

In the Philipines， the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things （to represent coins） will bring money or fortune. As a result， clothes with polka dots are worn and round food is eaten. To really push Fortuna， coins are kept in pockets and constantly jangled， believed to keep the money flowing.

Scotland： First footing

In Scottish folklore， the “first-foot，” also known as quaaltagh or qualtagh， is the first person crossing the threshold after midnight. A tall， dark-haired male with gifts like coins， coal， bread， salt， and a “wee dram” of whiskey， is thought to bring the best luck for the house. The tradition probably dates back to the Viking days when big， blond strangers （commonly armed with axes and swords） at the door meant trouble， and in some places， first footing by a fair-haired male is still regarded as unlucky.

Italy： Tossing furniture

“Out with the old” is the motto in Naples， where people toss everything from toasters to fridges off their balconies. Getting rid of old possessions symbolizes a fresh start in the new year. To prevent serious injuries， most locals stick to small and soft objects for their throwing tradition， though it’s still a good idea to watch your head should you travel to Naples （or Johannesburg， South Africa， where this custom is also practiced）.

Romania： Animal spirits

Romania is a country steeped in tradition. Especially in rural areas， New Year’s Eve highlights include mask dances and ceremonies about death and rebirth. Dancers dress up in furs and wooden masks depicting goats， horses， or bears， then dance from house to house to ward off evil spirits. The dance of the bear is the most popular. According to pre-Christian folklore， if a bear enters somebody’s house， it brings prosperity， health， and good fortune.

Italy： Mass kissing

Venice is a romantic place any time of the year but on New Year’s Eve in Piazza San Marco， tens of thousands of locals and tourists gather for fireworks， a light show （which sees “hearts” raining down）， and “a kiss in Venice.” The evening is all about love and your loved ones， so celebrate with a proper smooch and welcome the new year with happiness in your heart.

Idaho： Potato drop

With less tradition but more high-tech， for the fifth year running the people of downtown Boise will welcome the new year by dropping a giant spud from the sky. More than 40，000 spectators turn up to see the internally lit， 400-pound “GlowTato.” Other New Year’s Eve drop-sites in the US include Brasstown， N.C. （a possum）， Bethlehem， Penn. （Peep—a 200-pound local marshmallow candy） and Port Clinton， Ohio （a giant fish called Wylie the Walleye）.

Japan： 108 rings

At midnight， Buddhist temples all over Japan ring their bells 108 times to dispell the 108 evil passions all human beings have， according to Buddhism. Japanese believe that joyanokane， the ringing of the bells， will cleanse them from their sins of the previous year. Traditionally， 107 bells are rung on the last day of the year and the 108th in the new year. Many people eat buckwheat noodles called toshikoshi soba on New Year’s Eve to symbolize the wish for a long life.

對有些人來說，新年夜吃葡萄、穿圓點花紋圖案的衣服或者燒稻草人或許有些奇怪，但對另外一些人來說，這些都是沿襲了數(shù)百年的傳統(tǒng)習俗。

新年夜開香檳、放煙花、倒計時等習俗好像全世界通行，而許多國家有自己獨特的方式慶祝新年夜。跟隨我們?nèi)タ纯慈澜绲男履暌沽曀?，心中默默許愿，祝大家新年快樂！

西班牙：吃12顆幸運葡萄

在西班牙和拉丁美洲的一些國家，新年夜的習俗之一是吃12顆葡萄，一顆代表新年的一個月，以保佑新的一年欣欣向榮。聽起來是不是很容易？可是挑戰(zhàn)來了：要跟隨午夜的鐘聲，每敲打一下吃一顆葡萄。最好的辦法就是，咬一口，然后把剩下的一口吞下。吃完喝一杯香檳或有助于把它們順下去。這個習俗可以追溯到1909年，西班牙阿利坎特的葡萄大豐收，為了多賣一些葡萄，農(nóng)夫們就想出了這個主意。

墨西哥：穿五顏六色的內(nèi)褲

在墨西哥、玻利維亞、巴西等拉美國家，內(nèi)褲顏色將決定你新的一年會怎么樣。所以，謹慎挑選！依據(jù)傳統(tǒng)，紅色會帶來浪漫的愛情，黃色則帶來財富和成功，白色代表平靜和諧，綠色代表健康自然。在土耳其，紅色內(nèi)褲也可作為禮物，祝愿好運及新的一年收獲滿滿。

德國：倒鉛

誰不想知道新一年會怎么樣呢？在德國，人們會把一小塊兒一小塊兒的鉛放在匙子里，用蠟燭把鉛燒化，然后把液態(tài)鉛倒入冷水中。人們認為，液態(tài)鉛倒入水中凝固形成的奇異形狀會揭示新一年的運勢。如果鉛變成球狀，那么新一年將好運連連;如果變成皇冠，則財源滾滾;十字架表示死亡; 星星代表幸福。

丹麥：摔盤子

丹麥新年夜的傳統(tǒng)之一是對著朋友或者鄰居家的大門扔盤碟。這有點像一場比拼人氣的競賽，第二天誰家門前的瓷器堆越大，誰就會在新一年擁有更多的朋友和好運。然而，現(xiàn)在人們住在城市公寓里，這個傳統(tǒng)習俗瀕臨消亡，不過依然有人遵循過新年摔盤子這個傳統(tǒng)并樂此不疲。丹麥還有一個傳統(tǒng)，午夜鐘聲敲第12下的時候，從椅子上跳下來，代表跨入新一年。

厄瓜多爾：燒稻草人

在厄瓜多爾，人們會用稻草做出政客、歌星等名人的人偶，然后把它們燒掉。燒掉舊的一年，意謂摧毀上一年經(jīng)歷的所有壞事，為新一年凈化除污。稻草人是用舊衣服做成的，里面塞滿報紙或鋸屑，最后安上一張面具。厄瓜多爾的這個傳統(tǒng)可能來源于1895年的瓜亞基爾，當時傳染性的黃熱病肆虐，為了消除病菌，人們將死者的衣服裝進棺材用火燒盡。

菲律賓：享用圓形之物

在菲律賓，錢是一年之初最重要的東西。當?shù)厝讼嘈?，讓自己隨時接觸到圓形物件（代表硬幣）將會帶來財運。因此，他們會穿圓點圖案的衣服，吃圓形的食品。為了真正增加財運，菲律賓人把硬幣裝在口袋里，將它們晃得叮當作響，喻示財源滾滾。

蘇格蘭：第一個進門

在蘇格蘭民間傳說中，第一個進門的人（曼島語稱為quaaltagh或者 qualtagh）是指新年午夜時分過后第一個邁過門檻的人。一般認為最能給宅子帶來好運的是攜帶硬幣、煤塊、面包、鹽巴與一小杯威士忌作為禮物的黑發(fā)高個兒男子。這一傳統(tǒng)或許源自維京時代。當時，如果哪家門外出現(xiàn)了陌生的金發(fā)巨漢，而且還拿著劍和斧頭，就意味著這家可能有麻煩了。如今，在部分地區(qū)，金發(fā)男子第一個進門仍被看作不祥之兆。

意大利：扔舊家具

“拋除舊物”是那不勒斯的諺語，此地民眾迎接新年的方式也與此有關：把從烤面包機到冰箱的所有舊東西扔下自家陽臺。處理掉舊物件象征著又一年的全新開始。為了防止有人因此受重傷，大多數(shù)那不勒斯人遵循只拋擲小而軟的物件的原則。不過，如果要去那不勒斯旅游（或是南非約翰內(nèi)斯堡，當?shù)匾灿型瑯拥牧曀祝?，最好還是小心不要被砸傷。

羅馬尼亞：扮作動物精靈

羅馬尼亞人非常尊崇傳統(tǒng)習俗。新年前夜最重要的活動包括面具舞，以及有關死亡和重生的各種儀式，這些活動在農(nóng)村地區(qū)尤其流行。舞者以毛皮與木質面具裝飾自己，扮成羊、馬或熊，然后挨家挨戶跳舞，以驅散惡靈。這些舞蹈中，熊舞最為流行。根據(jù)基督教誕生前的民間傳說，闖進房子的熊會帶來繁榮、健康與好運。

意大利：集體接吻

在威尼斯這座浪漫的城市，一年365天都能感受到愛意。在除夕夜的圣馬可廣場，數(shù)以萬計的本地人與觀光客聚集欣賞煙火與燈光表演（可看到“愛心”如雨般降臨 ），并參加“威尼斯之吻”活動。這一夜完全屬于愛和你愛的人，所以來個得體的擁吻，并以發(fā)自心底的快樂來迎接新年吧。

美國愛達荷州：丟土豆

博伊西市的新年慶典雖然沒有悠久的歷史，但勝在科技含量高：這是該市城區(qū)連續(xù)第5年舉辦高空拋擲巨型土豆的迎新年活動。有超過4萬名觀眾前往現(xiàn)場見證這個內(nèi)部被點燃、重達400磅的“發(fā)光土豆”落地。美國還有幾個地方上演新年前夜拋物秀，包括北卡羅萊納州的布拉斯城（拋負鼠）、賓夕法尼亞州的伯利恒（拋當?shù)刈援a(chǎn)的200磅“皮普”棉花糖），以及俄亥俄州的克林頓港（拋名為“大眼懷利”的大魚）。

日本：撞鐘108下

每到除夕的午夜時分，日本各地的佛寺都會撞鐘108下。根據(jù)佛教解釋，這是為了驅散人的108種邪欲。日本人相信，“除夜之鐘”的響聲將幫助他們清洗掉過去一年的罪業(yè)。日本寺廟傳統(tǒng)的敲鐘方式是在除夕夜敲107下，然后新年再敲第108下。許多人在除夕夜還會吃一種叫“年越蕎麥”的蕎麥面，以寄托健康長壽的愿望。

（譯者單位：復旦大學奇境譯坊）