New Year's Eve

About New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve brings a bewildering range of customs at midnight. In Spain, people eat twelve grapes, one at each stroke of the clock at the Puerta del Sol, for twelve months of luck. In Brazil, people wear white and jump seven waves on the beach for Iemanjá, and in Chile and Colombia, they walk around the block with a suitcase for a year of travel. In Germany, Bleigießen, the pouring of molten lead into water, and the reading of the shapes, predicts the year, and dinner is raclette and fondue. Danes smash plates against friends' doors and jump from chairs at midnight. In Japan, temple bells toll 108 times and soba is eaten. In Scotland, it is Hogmanay, and in Edinburgh, Sydney and New York, great fireworks and crowds greet the year.

New Year's Eve dates: 2025, 2026, 2027

What is eaten

• twelve grapes
• lentils
• fondue
• soba
• kransekage

More marked on New Year's Eve

🇸🇪 Gävle, SwedenGävle goatGävlebocken A towering straw Yule goat built each Advent in the central square of GävleFestival 🇩🇪 Nuremberg, Germany and 5 moreChristkind The traditional Christmas Eve gift-bringer across Central Europe and Latin AmericaFestival 🇺🇦 Ukraine and 7 moreKoliadaКоляда A traditional winter caroling and solstice festival kept across Slavic EuropeFestival 🇫🇮 Finland and 5 moreMolybdomancy Pouring molten lead or tin into water, then reading the shape as an omenFolklore 🇫🇷 France and 5 moreRéveillon A luxurious late-night feast that stretches until dawn across the winter holidaysTable custom · Dinner 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreJoya no Kane除夜の鐘 A Japanese Buddhist New Year's Eve ritual where temple bells are struck to cleanse the year of worldly desires.Spiritual 🇺🇸 New York City, United StatesTimes Square Ball A ball of light slides down a pole in Times Square to mark the start of the new yearFestival 🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 3 moreBanitsaБаница A layered Bulgarian cheese pastry baked for morning meals and holiday fortunesTable custom · Breakfast 🇺🇦 Chernivtsi, Ukraine and 3 moreMalankaМаланка A Ukrainian folk celebration of masked mummers, feasting and New Year blessingsFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇷🇺 Moscow, Russia and 5 moreNovy GodНовый Год A secular winter celebration of decorated trees, family feasts and midnight giftsFestival · Feasts and festival meals 🇯🇵 Tokyo, JapanJapanese New Year正月 An annual celebration of renewal, seasonal foods, and bell ringing across JapanSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain and 5 moreTwelve GrapesLas doce uvas de la suerte A grape for every chime at midnight on 31 December, welcoming the new yearFestival · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreKallikantzarosκαλικάντζαρος A malevolent goblin of Greek and Balkan folklore, active in the Christmas season.Folklore 🇮🇪 Dublin, IrelandBarmbrackbairín breac A sweet Irish fruit loaf with charms baked in, eaten at Halloween and on New Year's EveTable custom · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreVigil A purposeful watch of prayer, mourning, or reflection kept through the nightSpiritual · Fasting and breaking the fast 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 4 moreTwelve Days of Christmas A festive Christian liturgical season linking Christmas Day to the eve of EpiphanySeasonal · Feasts and festival meals 🇩🇪 Germany and 5 moreSaint Sylvester's Day A Christian feast day and year-end celebration marked across Europe and beyondSeasonal · Dinner 🇷🇴 RomaniaCapra A New Year's ritual in Romania where a masked dancer visits homes to bring luck and predict the weather.Festival 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesSheikh Zayed Festivalمهرجان الشيخ زايد An annual cultural and heritage festival held in Al Wathba, Abu DhabiFestival 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, NetherlandsTangomagia An annual Amsterdam tango festival held in the last days of DecemberPerformance 🇰🇷 Busan, South KoreaBusan Sunrise Festival부산해맞이축제 A bell rung in Busan on 31 December, then the year's first sunrise at the beachSeasonal 🇨🇺 Cuba and 5 moreLetra del Año Annual prophecies and guidance proclaimed by babalawo priests for the coming yearSpiritual