People in Japan kick off the new year by eating a warm bowl of soba noodles. The tradition dates back to the Kamakura period and is tied to a Buddhist temple giving out noodles to the poor. Because the long thin noodles are firm yet easy to bite, it is believed eating them symbolizes a literal break away from the old year.
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