Bizarre New Year Traditions from Around the World

Just a little over a week for the New Year countdown to begin! Wondering what your plans are for New Year’s Eve? Party the night away with your buddies at the hippest club in town? Or enjoy a five-course meal and a bottle of your favourite champagne with your loved one at that swanky restaurant? Allow me to bring to you some of the wackiest New Year traditions to usher in the New Year from across the world!

Breaking Dishes on the Neighbour’s Door - Denmark

Call it strange and weird, but it’s customary in Denmark to collect cups, glasses and crockery throughout the year for this night only to break them at your neighbour’s door. Strangely, this practice makes the Danish happy instead of annoying them!  The family with the highest tower of broken crockery is considered to be the luckiest as it signifies that they have a lot of friends.

Balls of Fire - Scotland

This bizarre Scottish New Year celebration has more than a dash of danger attached to it. Commonly known as the Hogmanay festival, it takes place on the 31^st of December every year. In Stonehaven, men parade the streets holding balls of chicken wire filled with newspaper, rags and sticks that sometimes measure up to two feet wide! At midnight, the balls are set on fire and attached to the head of the creator with the help of three feet long chain. Thousands of visitors gather around to watch the spectacle as these fireballs are continuously swung around their heads. Legend has it that in Pagan times, fireballs represented the sun and were used to ward off evil spirits and purify the world.

Wearing Polka Dots - Philippines

Imagine an entire city dawned with polka dots. That is exactly what happens on New Year’s eve in Philippines. Walking down the street you will find people of all shapes and sizes wearing polka dots, and it doesn’t stop there; even the food and fruits on the dining tables are round shaped. Filipinos regard this wacky tradition as a symbol of future good fortune, associating the round dots to coins and wealth.

Dinner for One - Germany

Imagine watching the same show every year, with the same dialogues and same script? Torture! However, tell this to the Germans and they’ll disagree. As the clock strikes midnight on December 31^st, Germans plonk in front of their televisions to watch a 1963 English comedy titled “Dinner for One”. What appears to be the most frequently repeated TV program ever, according to Guinness Book of World Records, has never been aired in the United Kingdom or United States, most aren’t even aware of its existence! If you happen to be in Germany on New Year’s eve, walk into a bar and shout the film’s signature refrain “The same procedure as last year, madam?” You are sure to get a shout back from the crowd almost instantly, “The same procedure as every year, James.”

Diving into Sub-zero Temperature - Siberia

This has got to be one of the most whimsical New Year traditions! Lake Baikal, in southeast Siberia, known to be the world’s oldest and deepest freshwater lake, plays host to a bizarre new year event - one that is not for the faint hearted. On New Year’s eve, as the lake’s temperature dips to as low as -20 degrees, professional scuba divers dive down 40 metres while others folk dance around a tree according to a local tradition. Just the mere act is enough to give anyone the chills (literally!)

And this last one will have you in splits…

Wearing Colourful Underwear - South America

In Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia and other South American states, locals welcome the New Year by wearing colourful underwear. Red symbolises a passionate love life, while yellow stands for money and wealth, and the list is endless. According to this bizarre tradition, locals express their wishes via their underpants!You’re probably reconsidering your plans now. With MakeMyTrip you can let your wild side loose and do something different this year. Pick your favourite New Year traditions from the list above, book a flight to the country of your choice and bring in 2015 in a whole new way!

Photo credits: Denmark - antwerpenR/ Flickr, Scotland - Platform 3 / Flickr, Philippines - slightly everything/ Flickr, Germany - T.S.123/ Wikimedia, South America - Sangudo/ Flickr