The Spanish start off their new year by eating 12 grapes, which symbolize each strike of the clock. The tradition of las doce uvas de la suerte started in the late 19th century and is believed to ward off evil while boosting your chances of a prosperous and lucky new year. However, this will work only if you manage to eat all of the grapes in a matter of seconds since they need to be gone by the time the clock finishes striking midnight
United States: Watching the ball drop Millions of Americans gather around their television sets (or on the streets of Times Square, despite freezing temps) to
Spain: Eating 12 grapes The Spanish start off their new year by eating 12 grapes, which symbolize each strike of the clock. The tradition of las doce
India: Building a sculpture of an old man and burning it down “Back in Bombay we’d make an effigy of an ‘old man’ that symbolized